The Harris household was shocked when a ranger from the Blue Mountains Metropolis Council knocked on its door yesterday to say its lights had sparked a criticism.
“The ranger mentioned the particular person even referred to as themselves ‘the Christmas Grinch’ once they referred to as [council] up,” a member of the family informed 9News.com.au.
“They had been unable to even give the precise deal with of our dwelling.”
On the centre of the criticism are three posts that sit on the household’s nature strip which maintain a string of fairy lights suspended from the roof of their dwelling.
The household defined it got here up with the thought to make use of the posts after the council eliminated two huge Liquidambar timber that normally supported the show from the character strip.
”Final 12 months we had the lights strung up by the timber, we did not obtain any complaints,” a member of the family mentioned.
“When the timber obtained eliminated so shortly we had been truly devastated for the Christmas lights, so we had been like, ‘How can we recreate the identical factor with out it being everlasting?'”
They argued their construction posed much less of a hazard in comparison with the Liquidambars, which had uprooted the highway and triggered injury to their driveway.
The show was additionally well-liked among the many neighborhood, with many locals stopping by to take photographs beneath the lights.
“We went to a lot effort and a lot price as you might think about, not simply to ensure they had been out of the best way, however to ensure we had a magical space, as for those who had been working below the celebs,” the member of the family mentioned.
The household mentioned it was informed it had two weeks to take away the posts, however that the council may take them down themselves at anytime, in addition to challenge fines.
With simply three-and-a-half weeks till Christmas, the criticism comes as a devastating blow.
“We’re hopeful somebody will see sense in council, it isn’t that unreasonable,” a member of the household mentioned.
“We’re not a kind of homes that has lights all around the floor, we have taken care.”
Blue Mountains Metropolis Council inform 9News.com.au they’re hoping to discover a compromise.
“Council recognises that Christmas is a particular time of the 12 months,” the assertion mentioned.
“Whereas we’ve got had complaints from members of the general public referring to security issues about wires and buildings on the general public thoroughfare, and Council and the resident are chargeable for questions of safety that would come up, we would love to discover a compromise.
“Our CEO personally sought a compromise with the resident which might permit the lights to be on show whereas making certain security. We’re upset that we’ve not discovered an answer, however we’ll hold making an attempt.”
