Amy Hume
TOWN Christmas decoration duties could soon be handed back to the Mitchell Shire Council.
At last week’s meeting, council resolved to look into the cost of purchase and installation of Christmas decorations for Wandong, Wallan, Kilmore, Broadford and Seymour.
“Walking down the streets, you wouldn’t know it was a special time of year,” he said.
“We need to put a bit more effort in and make it more attractive.”
Community and recreation director Rob McVernon speculated Christmas decorations could cost more than $10,000 per town.
He questioned if the community would rather see each town decorated for “a small part of the year” or to see funds spent on improvement to entire shopping strips.
“We have to look at the return,” he said.
CEO David Keenan said there is no current funding available “unless it is provided from a private sector.”
He said council would look at cost of Christmas decorations, putting them up, taking them down, occupational health and safety, and storage.
Mr Keenan said Christmas decoration responsibility has switched between council and community groups numerous times over the years.
“This is the normal cycle,” he said.
Cr Bill Melbourne said he was on the Seymour Chamber of Commerce when council handed the responsibility for Christmas decorations to each town’s volunteers and chambers of commerce.
He said volunteers were disheartened when the decorations were vandalised and didn’t want to take on that role again.
“It’s now time for council to take it back over,” he said.
Cr Lee said in past years it has been the chamber of commerce of each town that has been responsible.
“Logistically they don’t have the technique and the equipment to do it and that’s probably what has prevented them from doing it (again in Kilmore),” he said.
When the Kilmore Chamber of Commerce erected decorations in the past, particularly the previous year, they were heavily criticised for their choice.
Cr Melbourne said if Christmas decorations were referred to the next budget, it would mean other projects may lose out.
“They look wonderful but they are also costly as all hecks,” he said.
“If the community want these decorations they need to know what they’re up for.”
