At Weddin Shire Council's ordinary monthly meeting on Thursday, October 17, Council voted to approve the annual Grenfell Christmas Display Competition through a donation of $450 (First prize: $200; Second prize: $150; and Third prize: $100) and to support the Christmas Display Competition in the villages of Bimbi, Caragabal, Greenethorpe and Quandialla through a donation of $200 to each village through the progress group or hall committee and for their own administration of the donation. Council also voted to approve a permanent budget for the Weddin Shire Christmas Display Competitions of $1,050.00. This amount is comprised of the funds in the first two resolutions. The initial recommendation was to support the villages' Christmas Display competition with a donation of $150 per village. This was amended to $200 per village after a debate in Council. Director Corporate Services John Thompson said they have done the Christmas Display competitions each year and they were proposing to do it again this year and make some financial contributions to that. Mr Thompson said the financial contributions to the villages would include $150 being donated to each Village through their progress group or hall committee which also have a standing one annual payment from Council. Councillor Michael Neill said he would like to see the donation to the villages increased to $250 if that is possible through Council's budget as he thought $150 was a bit low for the villages. Councillor Jan Parlett agreed with Cr Neill, saying they give $200 for the first prize in Grenfell, but are only giving $150 in the one prize to the villages. "I think we at least should be bringing it up to 200 because when people do go to a lot of effort and they're turning the power on continually," she said. "We all know the price of electricity is going up, so if we want them to be doing and participating in this. I think it's just a courtesy to sort of at least bring it up to the same level of prize. "I know that's not much but at least to start doing that I think showing that we appreciate what they do." Cr Parlett said. Councillor Wezley Makin added to Cr Parlett's point, agreeing it should be raised, and people also outlay hundreds of dollars to participate in such a community event, which, in Grenfell at least, is quite successful. Cr Makin said having that incentive would encourage people to go out there and support them. He said while they are small villages, Cr Makin said they need to be included in the whole Weddin Shire scope. Mr Thompson said they can definitely increase the donation to $200 for each village if that is what Councillors want.
