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Charity light show likely to move after dim response

OnYa Bike Civic manager, Aaron Bashford… “I am all for the cause but I don't think the lights should be on Petrie Plaza. It should be in a different venue". Photo by Holly Treadaway
OnYa Bike Civic manager, Aaron Bashford… “I am all for the cause but I don’t think the lights should be on Petrie Plaza. It should be in a different venue”. Photo by Holly Treadaway
FOLLOWING complaints from retailers on Petrie Plaza, the world-record SIDS Christmas lights display looks likely to be moving – possibly to City Walk – this year.

A three-year commitment with Canberra CBD Limited ensures the display continues in Civic until 2016, with plans for further improvement. CEO Jane Easthope said: “We want to make it interesting, every year a fresh idea.

“This year we are planning a world record for the number of lights on a Christmas tree. We want to bring people together to celebrate what’s on offer.”

Despite raising $300,000 for the SIDS and Kids ACT charity, retailers facing the display have voiced concerns for the future after suffering a decline in customers on what was supposed to be their busiest time of year.

OnYa Bike Civic manager, Aaron Bashford, said: “The first week of construction was the worst week for us, it is usually a busy time but a lot of people avoided coming into the area. The feeling was very negative.

“I am all for the cause but I don’t think the lights should be on Petrie Plaza. It should be in a different venue”.

Close to 210,000 people visited the lights from their opening on November 28 until New Years Eve.

While this should have been a retailer’s dream during the Christmas period, the black mesh cladding surrounding the display obstructed the view of the shops causing a detrimental effect on sales for some retailers.

In December, the co-owner of Clock Doc in Centrepoint, Henriette Jason, was reported as saying: “It has affected my trade since November when construction started. If the black wasn’t there, it would make it a lot better, it would be tolerable”.

In order to rectify such concerns, a change of location is being considered for the Christmas lights display.

Easthope said: “Of course retailers have every right to complain and we endeavour to take everything on board. We have never had a lights display before and we will make sure we do better this year. We are considering moving to a different location. In a public open space, maybe City Walk”.

When construction began, a few retailers claimed they were not informed the display, containing more than a million lights, would be built in front of their stores.

Angus Perry, sales assistant at Miranda HiFi, said: “We were not treated remotely like we mattered otherwise we would have been consulted.

“The noise affected us the most, the construction was loud and they started playing a loop of Christmas songs from midday, we couldn’t play our audio demonstrations.”

The manager and owner of the store, Omer Sheikh, added: “When I talked directly to the organisers they asked me if I hated Christmas. I don’t, I am just worried about our business.

“It is a wonderful thing what they were trying to do and it is nice to raise money for charity, but there was a total disregard for everyone. The whole thing was poorly managed.”

Mr Sheikh contacted Canberra CBD Limited on Christmas Eve expressing Miranda HiFi’s issues with disruptions including access, visibility and noise pollution. He received a reply the next morning stating they would be in touch but they are still waiting.

In response Easthope said: “I am happy to talk to Miranda HiFi. We thought we would open at midday to make the lights available to the elderly and the young residents.

“There weren’t a lot of visitors at this time and we have learnt from this. So we won’t be running it from midday next year”.

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2 Responses to Charity light show likely to move after dim response

. says: 28 January 2015 at 11:58 am

Do these retailers seriously think that us consumers won’t shop in their stores because of a Christmas Light display out the front?
What about all the visitors and extra people that the display brought in to Canberra and boosted numbers of those visiting the City.

Have the shop owners even considered the road works on Bunda Street that has been affecting access to the area as the problem to their decrease in sales? I certainly had been avoiding the area because traffic was a nightmare, but I did go and see the lights as well as having dinner in the city which I wouldn’t have normally.

Maybe if the shop owners extended their trading hours during the night time they would have seen an increase in sales when everyone came in to the city to see the attraction.

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AllyA says: 28 January 2015 at 2:17 pm

What a silly comment, maybe they should trade 24/7? Really, you think they didn’t extend their hours? And do you think that is as simple as leaving the door open? There are other issues that come into play with extended hours with regards to the building they are situated in, security, air conditioning & staff… but hey yep just extend your working hours and increase your overhead costs!

The issue is that it was an eye sore, and restricted movement/traffic flow in the area, blocked the view of the window displays and so on. Perhaps if the store owners were part of the conversation/consultation period things would have been different. But hopefully this coming Christmas it will be different & CBD will seek out the store owners and seek their view/opinion.

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