RETAILERS BANNED FROM BOULEVARD LIGHTS

Political reportage uni assignment (August 2018)

Banyule City Council’s decision to ban commercial retailers from operating at Ivanhoe East’s Boulevard Christmas Lights will negatively affect the Australian economy, according to the Australian Retailers Association (ARA).

The council announced last week that light and glow stick vendors would not appear at the event this December, despite already paying for their sites.

ARA Brand and Communications Manager Katherine Mechanicos said banning commercial retailers would be “detrimental” to the Australian economy due to continually increasing economic challenges for the nation’s retailers.

“Retailers are a part of the community and should be able to trade,” Ms Mechanicos said.

Councillor for Griffen Ward, Peter Castaldo, said the council wanted to ensure the event remained “community driven”.

“We want to keep the Boulevard Lights as a community event, not a commercial one where we are trying to cover costs by enabling commercial traders to come in,” Cr Castaldo said.

“As a council, we’ve decided that we’re willing to pay more money.”

Food and drink trucks will still operate at the event, run by community groups as fundraisers.

The 1st Eaglemont Scout Group has raised money by running a food truck at the Lights in previous years.

Scout Group Leader Noel Spink said he didn’t think the ban would have any impact on fundraising efforts.