Maitland Triathlon cancelled after NSW Police request changes to traffic plan

Entrants in the next competition scheduled for October, will be issued refunds as a result of the decision - a move that has ended a three-decade association with Morpeth.

More than 300 competitors raced in March and the race scheduled for October was expected to be the largest in the event's history. It would have doubled as qualifying race for the World Age Group Championships.

The Triathlon was founded in 1994 by Paul Humphreys from H Events, he said he was left with little alternative after NSW Police requested substantial changes to the traffic event plan.

NSW Police have been contacted for comment.

Mr Humphreys said cancelling the event after 30 years was a "gut-wrenching" decision.

"They said you have to make all these changes or you're not running it, and I said well we're not running it," he said.

"We ran the event in March, it was safe, I was out there, I'm not sure why we would need to make any changes. We respect the Police decision, but don't agree the changes are warranted."

Mr Humphreys said the new requirements were the last in a series of difficulties for the event which included issues with water quality in the Hunter river.

The event was postponed in 2022.

He said the new requirements from NSW Police would increase his costs above ten thousand dollars.

"We've already got 12 traffic marshals and they are basically wanting us to double the amount of traffic marshals," Mr Humphreys said.

"These are paid people that are double-time on a Sunday.

"Philosophically I disagree with what they are asking, I think they are asking for us to do too much."

Mr Humphreys said Maitland City Council have been supportive of the event but were unable to approve the race without agreement from NSW Police.

"We close half of Swan street at the moment, they want (NSW Police) to close it all and in my view that wasn't warranted," he said.

"It's not the only reason, if this traffic was the only reason maybe I would fight on but we've had COVID, we got flooded, even last year the river was not in a perfect condition.

"I could go through all of this trouble, I could fight the police, I could get whatever happening and spend the money and the week before it's pouring rain at Singleton and then suddenly the river's flooded and we can't run the event."

The owner of Campbells Store in Morpeth, Trevor Richards said the loss of the event is devastating for not only Morpeth but the Maitland area.

"It's a great disappointment that it has come to this and it has been stopped," he said.

"There's the 300 athletes that participate then there's the 300 to 600 hangers-on that come to the event.

"The event starts early in the morning so it means the bulk of those people, who are coming from any distance, are actually staying in the Morpeth and Maitland area.

"So for a start there's a huge amount of accommodation that's taken up...there's an enormous boost to the visitor economy.

Mr Richards said it was disappointing a compromise could not be found with the Council due to complete the Morpeth shared path, removing the need for athletes to race on the road.

"If it was a brand new event then yes I could understand it, you need to have all these rules but when it has been run for so long without any incident at all," he said.

"It is very professionally done and it is the only one that Maitland has."

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