We might live in a a digital world but there are still times when the tactile pleasure of written material simply can’t be beaten.

Many would say reading a newspaper is one of those experiences – even more would argue a festival program is another.

Autumn Colours programs have always been exciting little booklets with something new and unexpected on every page.

Part of the joy was stumbling upon an event on a page that you might never have considered previously.

The search processes on a website – while functional – are never quite the same.

Council’s cultural and community services director Alan Cattermole told the Western Advocate the online approach came in response to a survey that found 84 per cent of visitors to Bathurst sought information about the region online.

That sounds like a classic case of good information being used badly.

Of course visitors from outside the region turned to the internet for information, and no-one is arguing that a strong online presence is a bad thing.

What council’s decision has done, though, is alienate the thousands of Bathurst locals – many of them elderly and wary of technology – who should still be the main target audience for the festival

Council’s own figures also found that around 5500 of the 6000 Autumn Colours booklets printed last year were distributed to locations around the city and surrounding regions. These are the people who have been angered by this year’s decision.

A far better approach would have been a mix of online and printed information to suit all festival goers.

Council’s unashamed push to build the visitor economy should not come at the expense of residents who are already here.

If we really want to market the city better we should be seeking to utilise the best of both worlds rather than adopt a “one of the other” approach.

Time will tell what impact the program change has on attendances at Autumn Colours events and whether there is a change to the ratio of locals and visitors joining in.

But we hope there’s no damage because Autumn Colours needs to remain one of the jewels in our city’s crown.