By NICOLE WILLIAMS
PAKENHAM’S Carols by Candlelight has outgrown its Lakeside location and will take on Toomuc Recreation Reserve this Christmas.
Lack of parking, the threat of danger for children around the lake and community groups removing involvement were the prime reasons behind the move.
Steve Maloney, venue manager at Toomuc Recreation Reserve, said he was asked by Cardinia Shire Councillor Graeme Moore if the reserve would be willing to host the popular Christmas event.
“The carols have grown out of Lakeside,” Mr Maloney said.
“This was the only place identified. That’s what the reserve is for.”
Cr Graeme Moore said it was time for the carols to move on from the lake.
“For the future growth, it needs to be larger and in a more confined and safer venue,” Cr Moore said.
“This will encompass it all together with the fireworks on the back oval – it will bring people closer to the fireworks.”
Cr Moore and Mr Maloney said the event would otherwise be the same a previous years, with many of the same performers.
“It will be better because it will be held on the oval,” Mr Maloney said.
“It will be far better for traffic and more practical.”
The church groups involved in running the previous event have also decided not to participate this year, simply because it was getting too much to handle, Cr Moore said.
“The church groups were finding it difficult to handle with the numbers of community representatives in those groups to run an event of that size,” he said.
“It gets difficult, these events require a lot of community volunteer involvement and without that, none of these things would work.”
Cr Moore said interest had been shown by local Rotary, Lions and Probus clubs to get involved.
The cricket and football clubs will man the canteen for the event, Mr Maloney said.
Cr Moore said he was thankful to community groups for showing interest and for Mr Maloney’s positivity.
“I am looking forward to it,” he said.
“All we need is good weather and for people to turn up.”
