BATHURST Regional Council has been branded a Christmas Grinch with the majority of the city’s public places lacking festive decorations.
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Less than two weeks before Christmas Day and the city’s streets and parks remain bare.
“They used to have Christmas lights zig zag all the way up main [William] street, from Durham to Keppel Street,” Bathurst Business Chamber president Stacey Whittaker said.
“They used to have Christmas banners and a wreath on the light standards.”
Mrs Whittaker has branded council’s lack of decorations as “Grinchy” and said: “shops can only decorate so much of their own buildings, so it’s really up to council.”
And it seems others agree with many people taking to the Western Advocate’s Facebook to have their say over the city’s lack of festive cheer.
They used to have Christmas banners and a wreath on the light standards. I think it’s Grinchy.
- Bathurst Business Chamber president Stacey Whittaker
“I’m new to Bathurst and was wondering why there is a lack of Christmas cheer in the town, bugger all decorations,” Scotty Wayne posted
“Bring back the lights that used to be zig-zagged in main street. Even make them red, white [and] green at Xmas time,” Michael Byrne asked council.
“I'm really disappointed in the council chamber's decorating this year. The waterfall curtain of lights was gorgeous, the stars were fine, but this pathetic snowflake projection? Bah Humbug,” Trish Spek wrote.
“It's very drab and blah. Why isn't council taking an active role on lighting up the town,” Tracy A. Clarke asked.
But a council spokesperson defended the lack of decorations.
“Council has for many years decorated the Civic Centre for the Christmas-New Year period, and this has occurred for around the last 20 years,” the spokesperson said.
“This year council has taken a new approach with the decorations and has a projection of snowflakes onto the front of the building along with the large star on the Russell Street balcony.
“The decorations in William Street have not been put up since the early 1980s.”