Committee 4 Wagga (C4W) has handed one of the city’s biggest events over to the council, raising questions over who will light up the skies on December 31.
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The four-and-a-half year old fireworks and entertainment spectacular draws more than 10,000 people from across the region, but organising the show proved to be too much for C4W.
Chairwoman Judy Galloway said she hoped another organisation would take the reins.
“It’s a significant job and it was taking up a heck of a lot of time for our staff so the board made the decision that this year we would hand it over and provide assistance for the new person coming on board,” she said.
“We’ve got a blueprint for how to run it and the funding from council finished last year so we thought the timing was right.”
When asked for comment, council’s media team referred The Daily Advertiser to a report prepared on behalf of community services director Janice Summerhayes, which will be presented to councillors on Monday night.
“Given other commitments at that time of year… staff are not in a position to take this event on as well,” the report said.
“For this reason it is recommended that council seek expressions of interest from suitably qualified businesses, organisations or community groups to organise, administer, manage and deliver the event in 2017.”
Councillor Tim Koschel said with New Year’s Eve only six months away, something needed to be done quickly.
“It won’t be good if it doesn’t go ahead,” he said.
“Wagga definitely needs it, I’ve been to a few of them and I think they’re a fantastic idea, a great community concept, we just need to find a way to get it running again.”
Ms Galloway said it would be “an absolute shame” if Wagga lost the New Year’s Eve fireworks.
“The great thing about rural Australia is the community and this event demonstrates that with the number of people that turn up across every age group,” she said. “I just hope someone can take it over.”