Wagga residents want their roads fixed, better health care and for our waste disposal to be figured out but that should not come at the expense of a little Christmas cheer.
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Walking down the street about 20 years ago, it was hard to avoid the fact that the city was well into the festive season.
Decorations were strewn across the road and down the street and it gave a real sense of Christmas spirit, belonging and community.
Towns around the Riverina are unmistakably celebrating the festive season but it looks like just another week in Wagga.
Public Christmas decorations create a buzz in the community, an excitement about the upcoming holiday period.
A lack of them could send the wrong message.
Sure, there are other projects that might require more immediate attention and funding.
But do we want the only decorations in the city to be an expensive light feature in one part of the CBD while the rest goes bare?
Could the money have been allocated differently to ensure more evenly distributed decorations in the main street?
It shouldn’t be the responsibility of businesses to decorate the city with Christmas cheer.
Although, it’s heartwarming to see they are volunteering the step in and fill the void.
Business owners said they will spread the joy themselves by decorating or lighting up their own premises.
And when council has so many other issues to deal with, it could be said that it’s unfair that we expect them to decorate the city.
It’s even promising that council have forgone decorations to place an emphasis on balancing the books this year.
But is it too much to ask for them to want to be able to allocate some funds to decorations?
Even some councillors agreed that the company should be making more effort.
But until then, it’s up to us, Wagga.
This does not mean we litter the streets with tinsel or vandalise Baylis Street with decorations.
If you own a business, dress up the window with a nativity scene or sprinkle some lights around its edges.
Spritz some fake snow, play those Christmas carols and let’s let everyone who walks past know what time of year it is.