What may look like 'gravel pathways' are to my recollection pathways laid of poured concrete. These usually may be poured in a lengthy 'run' with stress relieving 'slots' that look like block separations to allow controlled cracking, or actually laid in alternate blocks which are then later interleaved with the next batch a few days later. They are usually about 4 inches thick, and do not always have steel 'reo' encapsulated. The actual berms would have been well above any flash flood level, but some other local parks have had to be closed because of ground sogginess. Historical research reveals that Queens Park was used as a clay quarry for brickmaking in the 1800s - becoming a fly ridden rubbish tip which was later filled in and 'urban parked'. A large amount of money was spent on creating this sunken auditorium, including some Federal grant funds so it is reasonable to assume that competent engineering and material selection processes were used. The questions of park damage, and why it take them about 3 weeks of 'hogging the park' (commercial rates like a Circus - no comment! for the 3 days of the festival and cut rates of the rest of the 3 weeks!) and the taxpayer cost of restoration have been of public interest.

Actually John, laser drilling (or plasma cutting) may be quicker and more cost effective. Trust me they will not waste the time to drill the holes to 'do a proper job' (ethnic English locale joke!) anyway - they prefer more 'direct action' - refer the 'london dan' post :-)

The newspaper report says "It is being constructed with shipping containers hired locally from Melco — a container hire company. " Google "melco australia toowoomba" - quote Melco Storage, Affordable, Safe & Secure Storage "Your Site...Or Ours" unquote - shipping containers are becoming a popular method of personal storage (bung a few on a block of land and hire them out) and even drop one in your front yard for 'temporary long term' storage, or 'pack/unpack your own - we transport' house moving. Most are the 'standard' 20 foot long. I put some time into research of these for house building, interesting stuff, and some really good looking results. Funnily enough, I have heard of local comments of 'refugee camp look of the park' - Aussies remember when a boat load of refugees was picked up by a container ship, and they turned a few empty ones into housing... make the news :-)

The "London Dan post" is typical of the constant 'nicer' tricks the organization and its persistent Happy Clappy Supporters keep trying on. It's very easy to do that here now that Max Google-Indexes every post, and Mudcat has become less of a private club and more of a Public Resource Service. It should be noted that a TV Documentary of a local Church running a cafe in the main street as a business and allegedly bullying its young people to work long hours 'as a church donation' aired nationally some time ago here. Whether it is the Church that seems to be associated with this Festival, I can not recall at this time.

I can categorically state that I know of no such previous verified international documented use - it has been suggested that is a 'panic reaction' for very little return. Melco is laughing all the way to the bank though...

Previous day PR release - based on the Goebbels theory that if you shout loud enough and often enough, you can get people to believe anything you tell them. Such as 'millions of dollars for the region' - Wikipedia some time ago struck out that claim because although they were at first parroting some 'university report', strangely enough many requests for it first produced hostility, then evasion. No Peer reviewed Report on this topic by any credible verifiable source has yet emerged after nearly 10 years of asking for it. All such claims trace back to the organizers PR releases.

Interestingly we had Easterfest claims that Easterfest had outgrown the park and was now taking over the city = they even created a new domain for this campaign - ..... http://easterfestcity.com/

Easterfest is too BIG for the Park, so we're expanding into the city!

Easterfest is taking over the Toowoomba Central Business District. Cafes, restaurants, shopping centres, the Empire Theater, and public spaces will all be filled with music, film arts, and food. We are calling it "Easterfest City" and we hope you will be a part!

http://easterfest.com/article/easterfest-city/

Of course this foot in mouth 'clever' PR only created support for the locals who have been saying this and that it should move for years :-)

Goggle Toowoomba Chronicle - Easterfest ...