Nundle Go for Gold Festival won't go ahead in 2023, call out for new committee

The festival, which paid tribute to the region's Chinese gold mining heritage, was a major drawcard for the village. It attracted over 10,000 people in 2019, the last time it was held.

A victim of COVID-19 in both 2020 and 2021, the festival was cancelled again in 2022, after the 11-member organising committee was 'sacked' by Tamworth council.

The reason given for the disbandment was that the group was only able to fill two slots of a four-person executive.

"Council is disappointed that the event will not be going ahead in 2022, and will continue to work with the Nundle community should the festival go ahead in the future," a council spokesperson told the Leader at the time.

Plans for a micro-event that year also failed to get off the ground.

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Now, without an official section 355 committee, the prospect of the Easter festival returning in 2023 has again proven impossible.

Tamworth Regional Council has again said it is open to working "with the Nundle community should interest be shown again to reassemble the committee and deliver the event".

Still, some residents are doubtful anyone will rise to the occasion.

"There's just not the people in town that have got an interest in it to want to take it on," Nundle pub owner Robert Schofield said on Wednesday.

"It would be nice for it to be back, but it just takes so much organising.

"The festival was wonderful for the town, but there was so much work in it. We're all getting older and we just don't have the manpower we had here five or six years ago."

Mr Schofield said bringing the festival back would also be more expensive than it was in previous years, due to increased insurance costs.

"Even for me, it's all over public holidays and it costs a fortune in wages and it's a problem to get enough staff," he said.

"Nothing stays the same. With a revamp it might be able to get off the ground again, but it's just not working now."

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