The countdown to Christmas is on and residents across the Mildura region are encouraged to light up their homes, workplaces and businesses to spread festive cheer.
Mildura Rural City Council has again partnered with the Sunraysia Daily to run its annual Christmas Lights Map and Competition - an initiative aimed at sparking joy and celebrating all that is great about our community.
Council's Chief Executive Officer Martin Hawson and 'Mr and Mrs Clause' were on hand to launch the competition on Friday.
"Each year we run this popular competition it's great to see the pride locals take in their properties and the effort they put in to decorating their homes and businesses," Mr Hawson said.
"It's also amazing to see the positive response from our community in terms of both the number votes cast and the number of addresses registered."
All property owners who decorate their homes or businesses are invited to register their address on Council's online Christmas Lights Map. The Map will be updated daily and published in the Sunraysia Daily in the lead up to the New Year, giving everyone the chance to plan a tour of local light displays.
All registered addresses will also be in the running to win a $500 Mildura City Heart Gift card, with prizes for Best Decorated House and Best Decorated Business up for grabs. Entries close on 5 January 2025.
The Best Decorated House prize will be awarded to the residential address that receives the most public votes via Council's website, while the best Decorated Business will be chosen by the Mayor.
Around 100 addresses were registered on the Map in 2023 and Mr Hawson said he hoped even more would get on board this year.
"Last year, our online map was accessed more than 10,500 times, which just shows the amount of interest this fantastic community initiative generates," he said.
Sunraysia Daily General Manager Glenn Robinson said the newspaper had been publishing an annual Christmas Lights Map for more than a decade and was excited to partner with Mildura Rural City Council to make it happen again this year.
"We will publish the map every Wednesday and Saturday in our print edition from now until the New Year and look forward to seeing many addresses added to it in the coming days," Mr Robinson said.
"This is a great way for us to join with Council to support our community in embracing the festive season and all the positivity and happiness associated with this time of the year, particularly for children."
