Saga of Southern Highlands attraction Fairground Follies continues

One man is fighting for the future of a Southern Highlands attraction with a world-class collection of fairground mechanics gathered from around the world. 

Craig Robson will continue fighting for the future of his world-class fairground mechanics attraction, despite the constant bureaucratic setbacks.

Fairground Follies is one of the top three collections of fairground mechanics in the world, which owner Mr Robson says should be a point of pride for the Southern Highlands.

Mr Robson has spent the last five years battling with council to extend his operating hours so he can open the attraction full time instead of only  on weekends.

He said he thought the issue was nearing resolution when the council was suspended in March.

In February, the council granted Follies conditional approval to extend its the opening hours, but only for 18 months and only if the Fairground Follies contributed $70,000 for the incumbent water and sewerage costs.

Mr Robson said it was “a very disappointing result” to be asked to pay an estimated $35,000 when the development approval is due to expire in a year, after which he has to re-apply for development approval.

“I can’t book weddings or train apprentices with that deadline looming,” he said.“If we don’t get an approval, whatever funds we’ve contributed, we lose. But we can’t even open up.”

At Fairground Follies, you can ride this carousel, which is almost 120 years old.

He believes the Local Planning Panel will be able to remove the restrictive condition on the development and allow Fairground Follies to reach its full potential.

“We’ve sent it to the panel - a plea to please, please, please take away that 18 months because we can’t employ anybody, we can’t open business when our DA lapses,” he said.

Mr Robson said he would happily pay the fee if the time restriction was removed from the development approval.

fter some initial contact with the Local Planning Panel, he told The Bowral News he believed a resolution would be forthcoming.

“We’re one step closer and looking forward to seeing results,” he said.

Mr Robson said he has been disappointed by the reaction from council and by the long and drawn-out DA process.

“It’s been five years now. It’s been hassle, hassle, hassle,” he said.

“Is a man supposed to stick around and deal with this when he’s not making any money?”

Fairground Follies is a Southern Highlands institution, with one of the world’s top three collections of mechanical fairground music artefacts.

rom 120-year-old carousels to the world’s best mechanical music piece, the Follies is a one-of-a-kind tourist attraction.

The Taj Mahal is the world’s greatest piece of mechanical music still working. Photo: Craig Robson

Mr Robson had originally applied to extend the operating hours so the Follies could be open to tourists every day, instead of only on weekends.

“This is the foremost collection of fairground machines in the Southern Hemisphere, and it’s in the Southern Highlands,” he said.

“Council should be welcoming it with open arms.”

Mr Robson estimated that Fairground Follies will bring in 2000 people every week if it were allowed to open full time.

He said the revenue generated for the attraction would be $600,000 from tours which would then be set loose on the town to share the wealth.

Mr Robson is considering his options, including moving the collection to another shire which has agreed to pay all incumbent costs. He loves the Southern Highlands but said the decision was now in the hands of the local planning panel.

“There’s nothing else I could possibly do,” he said.

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