When the Committee 4 Wagga (C4W) staged the New Year’s Eve spectacular in Wagga last year, many were amazed at its success.

By the time the city welcomed in 2014, an estimated 12,000 people had shown their support for the concept packing the city’s Victory Memorial

Gardens and Wollundry Lagoon precinct in an impressive vote of confidence

for the concept.

Having endured years of watching people from our great city seeing in the new year in other locations, Wagga at last had an event to be proud of.

It was the initiative of the C4W that brought the idea to life with the support of the Wagga City Council.

Many individuals and organisations had long talked about Wagga having a major event to mark the new year, but none had managed to get it off the ground.

This week the committee announced that former Wiggle Sam Moran would be one of the major performers for the children’s section of the celebration, at the same time confirming that this year would see an admission charge implemented.

At $5 an adult and $2 a child, it’s fair to say the cost is reasonable and within the reach of most people.

With the council tipping in $45,000 of ratepayer funds, some have argued

that the event should be free.

When the committee once again sought financial support from the

council in March this year, it made it clear there would be an admission

charge.

It is also worth remembering that ratepayer funds are distributed to many organisations which host events that command an entry fee, so

it could be argued that the New Year’s Eve celebration is no different.

Given the success of the inaugural event, the organisers have a much clearer picture of how many people they need to cater for and the cost of things such as entertainers, security, insurance and, of course, the fireworks.

Wagga should have a great community event on December 31, and C4W

deserves to be praised for its efforts to get this project off the ground and

make is sustainable.

If that means a modest entry fee, then so be it.