The Christmas elves of the Moree Plains have taken some time out from Santa's workshop to bring some festive cheer to the Moree CBD.
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Moree Plains Shire Council has decked the hall at Moree Memorial Hall with the installation of council's new community Christmas tree.
As part of council's usual main street shut-down for essential works, the CBD of Moree has been filled with joy ahead of the 2020 festive season with decorations, lights and street flags adorning Heber and Balo Streets as well as the installation of a new Christmas tree on the steps of Moree Memorial Hall.
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Moree mayor Katrina Humphries said she was delighted by this year's display.
"I hope these decorations bring great joy and fill the community with Christmas cheer," she said.
"These wonderful decorations are a sight for sore eyes, they are encouragement that the end of the year is almost here and that Christmas is around the corner.
"A wonderful addition to our new Christmas tree is our kinder students' handmade baubles from participating schools throughout the shire, each decoration has the child's first name and initial of their last name so that they can locate it."
The monumental size of the new Christmas tree is only matched by the community effort it represents, with Moree's Christmas project involving not just council but also the hard working efforts of the Moree Urban Advisory Committee (UAC), the Moree Chamber of Commerce, the Moree Men's Shed and kindergarten students across the shire.
Members of the Moree Men's Shed used their new home at the Moree Showgrounds to design, fabricate and construct the base of the Christmas tree.
More than 150 kindergarten students across the shire participated in the inaugural Kindergarten Christmas Bauble Project, decorating clear baubles with much enthusiasm.
With all the named ornaments now proudly installed, council invites its special Christmas helpers to see if they can find their bauble on the community Christmas tree.
"A very big thank you to the educators and students of Moree East Public School, Moree Public School, St Philomena's School, Pallamallawa Public School and Garah Public School for answering our call to be involved in the first year of our Kindergarten Christmas Bauble Project," Cr Humphries said.
The Max Centre also welcomes the return of council's very large donated indoor Christmas tree, kindly installed by UAC members.
Council's UAC played a significant role in helping to secure funds for this year's shire Christmas decorations.
UAC chair councillor Stephen Ritchie has been an enthusiastic advocate for the Christmas decorations.
"Every year UAC dedicate time to decorating the Max Centre for Christmas," he said.
"We have always had a limited supply of decorations so this year we were very pleased to receive the news that council had provided funding for decorations across the shire."
The installation of the new Moree decorations has been orchestrated to align with the first week of the Moree CBD's Thursday night late night shopping event.
Moree Chamber of Commerce president Dibs Cush said that while COVID-19 means that the late night shopping events might look a little different this year, shoppers should not be deterred from purchasing Christmas presents locally.
"Our retailers are looking forward to welcoming you this festive season to find the perfect gift for every person on your Christmas shopping list," she said.
"We really are spoilt for choice in the Moree Plains so after a few very tough years, it would be great to celebrate Christmas 2020 with plenty of support for our local businesses.
"Local retailers will be advertising their extended trading hours on their social media platforms so be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram."
Christmas cheer will continue to be spread throughout the shire with decorations to be installed in the shire's villages during the course of this week.
The community Christmas tree, decorations and lights will be on display throughout the Moree CBD for the entire festive season.
Council would like to remind community members that Santa is not the only one watching at this time of the year, with CCTV in operation throughout Moree's CBD.
