Opinion: Clash of events in Tamworth sparks sporting calendar for Tamworth groups

Last weekend the Tamworth region lit up with more events than an average man could poke three sticks at. And, while that was great for the town, and an awesome reflection of the vibrant city that Tamworth is becoming, it was not so great for some.

There would have been many people that would have competed in the Pedal the Peel and the Tamworth Trail Blazer if they hadn't accidentally fallen on the same day; while the Quirindi Canter, a cycling and fun run was also on the same day.

Meanwhile, several other sports had major carnivals and come and try days, while the always delicious Taste in The Park event was also on.

How could one person decide between flogging themselves relentlessly over Flagstaff Mountain; or riding a bicycle between 15 and 100 km for charity; or sitting in the shade with a gin and tonic sliding the best produce the region has to offer down your throat?

It might sound like an easy choice, but for many it was not. And more importantly the clash of events could have also led to a charity day being less well attended than it could otherwise have been.

Fortunately, they all went off well, and the problem will never arise again after five local sporting organisations teamed up with a financial planner to conceive the Tamworth Sporting calendar - a shared calendar that any organisation can access to register details and dates of their events to minimise future clashes.

A simple, yet brilliant idea to solve a problem that got me thinking, how far could we stretch the capabilities of shared calendars and spreadsheets? They seem to be working well in our office, but could we take them to the top office?

If everyone in Australia had access to a shared file, could we not run the nation as a live up-to-the-minute democracy, where the people's will is instant, and elections unnecessary? 

The mind boggles.