By ANEEKA SIMONIS
It’s the council that stole Christmas…
PAKENHAM Main Street has been left dull and bare by Cardinia Shire Council which has been dubbed the Christmas Grinch by disappointed retailers and shoppers.
Town centre, which has been decorated with tinsel, lights and festive signage in the past, looks no different to any other season of the year– this has done little to lift spirits in the community.
Ritchies IGA Store manager Sam Lynn said a couple of hours spent decorating his store had paid off in spades with a bout of happy customer reports and added that council ought to do the same.
“I think it’s disappointing. I have had customers come in here and say the same thing. If you go to any other municipality, you will see they already have their Christmas decorations up,” he said.
“Between serving customers, staff put up the decorations which create more of an environment for customers in the lead-up to Christmas.”
Hayley Couch from Alex Scott & Staff Real Estate also decorated the office which, she said, has boosted worker morale.
“It’s upsetting that the rest of the street isn’t done up. It doesn’t really help them get into the Christmas spirit,” she said.
Marie Harding, who has lived in Pakenham for the past 27 years, said she was left uninspired by her trip down the festive-free strip just two weeks before the big day.
“It has always been decorated … I don’t remember the last time it wasn’t,” she said.
President of Pakenham Op Shop Margot De Vries said council’s scrooge-like behaviour would not step a foot into her holly-jolly store.
“Come Monday, any child who walks into the store can choose their own present for free,” she said.
Berwick shopper Geoff Lee said council needed to be reminded what Christmas was all about.
“When you get older, you don’t really feel special during Christmas time, but for kids, it does. They should decorate the street for them,” he said.
But council said they weren’t to blame for the lack of festive decorations.
“In previous years, decorations in Main Street have usually been co-ordinated by retailers in the area.
It is not uncommon in other municipalities for traders to pay a levy to cover the cost of decorating their retail precinct,” council’s Economic Development co-ordinator Andrew Pomeroy said.
Council does not own the electricity poles in Main Street, Pakenham; they are the property of SP Ausnet.
“To attach decorations to the poles, we would need to apply for and pay for a permit from SP Ausnet, then fund the cost to install them,” Mr Pomeroy said.
Council said they were willing to support retailers who wanted to decorate their store during the festive season.
