LETTER TO THE EDITOR:
I AM writing regarding the article headed ‘Bah humbug, Christmas parade cancelled’.
The article quoted Wellington Shire mayor, Darren McCubbin as saying “the Lions Club made the decision to cancel this year’s Christmas parade due to a lack of resources”.
This is untrue, and the president of the Longford Lions Club was not contacted by the paper to hear our side. (Editor’s note: Longford Lions Club president Laurel Austin notified the Gippsland Times of the parade’s cancellation and the club’s reasons for cancelling the event, and this information was included in the article).
Longford Lions Club president Laurel Austin, has put in many hours during the year to ensure that the parade would go ahead.
However, it was not to be.
Arrangements had been made for road closures, first aid, insurance, entertainment and market stalls to ensure that the parade and market would be a safe, happy and friendly environment for all.
The Wellington Shire Council, however, managed to throw up road blocks at every turn.
Laurel was summoned to the council office to be interrogated by the events management and assorted department heads, who had proceeded to nitpick at everything that had been organised.
The parade and market was still going ahead, despite everything, including the fact that the council declined to give us a grant to help offset the costs.
Any money made would have stayed in the local community and would have been donated to worthwhile causes.
The parade was to go down Raymond St, turn left into Stawell St and finish at Brennan Park, where there would have been fun for all.
The council, in its wisdom, decided it would be a good idea to issue a second permit, for a market to be held in the Sale mall, a mere one and a half blocks away from the Lions event.
The events manager was of the opinion that people would attend both markets.
As a parent, if my children were still young, I certainly would not be loading up the car with kids, prams, shopping, dogs, whatever and driving one and a half blocks to another market.
If I was in the mall or Gippsland Centre I would stay there.
The events manager was also of the opinion that the parade would not bring any extra people into the centre of the central business district.
If this is the case, why all the furore over it being cancelled?
As for the market that will now be held in the mall, I believe the money will not be remaining in the local area or even Victoria.
Is the mall going to be closed for the safety of the children present?
Will there be first aid present in case of an accident?
Do the organisers have proper insurance?
Some of our stall holders and entertainment had been poached, even before we cancelled the parade.
It was felt that it would be pointless outlaying all the money for the pointless parade, when it could be spent on better things.
So, the only Christmas scrooge that caused “the hearts of children (and some adults)” to break in Sale is the Wellington Shire Council’s event management team, not Longford Lions Club.
Why was the Christmas parade cancelled?
Because Laurel and the Longford Lions Club were wrapped up in so much bureaucracy and red tape by the Wellington Shire Council that poor old Santa and his elves had no red ribbon left for Christmas.
