Wagga was without a big community event on New Year’s Eve for years.
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Pubs and clubs hosted a myriad of shenanigans but they were hardly family-friendly.
And then Committee 4 Wagga put on a spectacular event at the Victory Memorial Gardens for a few years and it gave residents and visitors somewhere to hang their hat on come December 31.
They knew, that whatever their plans may be, that event would be available as a central meeting point with food and live music.
And then, in 2017, Thomas Bros took over and created Skyworks at Lake Albert.
Its feature was the impressive fireworks display and few people minded that it actually ended before midnight.
The event was hailed as a success and it received overwhelmingly positive feedback.
Wagga is a city of almost 70,000 people and thousands more also rely on it to provide generous community entertainment come New Year’s Eve.
But what if that didn’t happen this year?
The prospect is rather daunting but it’s a possibility if Wagga City Council isn’t willing to commit the funds needed to properly run the event.
Their contribution last year left organisers short, forcing them to pay from their own pockets to ensure residents were treated to a great event.
The event could be a tourism boom for the city, especially on one of the most popular night’s of the year, so there is little question as to whether council should be contributing funds.
It does beg the question of how much they should be liable for?
It would be a shame to see this event fade into a memory not even 12 months after this inception of it.
There is still the booze-up at the local watering holes but events that you can bring your children to, especially on New Year’s Eve, are few and far between.
It eliminates the need to arrange babysitters and lifts to and from a venue and proves that you can have a good time without alcohol.
Residents are constantly calling for quality community events and this one has people willing to organise it.
They just need the financial assistance to back it.
And if council won’t commit the full funds required, might there be businesses who are willing to chip in?
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