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Thousands of people flock to a small residential street in Melbourne\u2019s north every year for a resident-run Christmas extravaganza with Santa, lights and food trucks, but the council says it\u2019s now gone too far.<\/p>\n
Renee Gaitanis started decorating her home on Stardust Way in Wollert a decade ago. It became so popular that every year families would start visiting through the weeks leading up to Christmas.<\/p>\n
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Friends of Renee Gaitanis (centre rear in grey jumper and glasses) gather outside her Wollert home on Thursday evening after the council rejected her initial plan for a Christmas extravaganza, saying it was in breach of environmental protection regulations.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Joe Armao<\/cite><\/p>\n It has now snowballed into an annual festival, with Gaitanis herself hiring private traffic management to close the street to traffic for up to four hours a night across 10 days in December. Four food trucks also pop up on the street to serve the crowds.<\/p>\n <\/strong>While many homes in the neighbourhood put up Christmas lights, Gaitanis said hers was the drawcard.<\/p>\n She estimated that at least 2500 people visited her home in eight days last December, raising more than $10,000 for the Starlight Children\u2019s Foundation from gold coin donations and photos with Santa \u2013 played by Gaitanis\u2019 father.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have people stationed everywhere in high-vis making sure that the events run smoothly,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have traffic management plans in place, we close the street \u2013 we have public liability insurance, we do that ourselves. [Whittlesea] council don\u2019t do anything to support us.\u201d<\/p>\n Gaitanis, 43, said she was motivated to run the event for families who couldn\u2019t afford to go all out at Christmas.<\/p>\n The mother of two said she had informed Whittlesea council \u2013 which takes in Wollert, Epping, Thomastown and Beveridge in Melbourne\u2019s north \u2013 of her plans for many years, but had not received a reply.<\/p>\n But last year the council got involved, requiring her to submit her plans and paperwork for approval.<\/p>\n On Wednesday, Gaitanis received a letter from the council \u2013 seen by The Age \u2013 <\/em>saying her plans for the coming weeks were in breach of environmental protection regulations.<\/p>\n It also said that \u201cproposed road closures across 10 consecutive nights is unreasonable as it poses prolonged impacts from the event for residents and surrounding streets\u201d.<\/p>\n \u2018Santa\u2019 is available for photos and hands out candy canes on Star Dust Way in Wollert.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe impacts of the noise, food vendors and crowds over 10 consecutive nights will materially impact the amenity of residents of Stardust Way and surrounding streets.\u201d<\/p>\n Gaitanis said she felt \u201cheartbroken\u201d by the letter.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople say this is their family tradition now. Seeing the smiles on kids faces, seeing adults become children again, you just can\u2019t explain it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The Stardust Way Christmas Lights social media accounts were flooded with comments from families concerned about the council rejection. A change.org petition supporting the event had garnered 550 signatures in less than 24 hours.<\/p>\n Gaitanis said she had surveyed her neighbours in recent years to see if they were OK with the event \u2013 and only one had complained about noise and lights.<\/p>\n \u201cLast year we ran \u2019til midnight. We\u2019ve offered reduced times and said we would comply with [Environment Protection Authority] guidelines and shut down by 10.30pm,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Whittlesea council chief executive Craig Lloyd said the council received complaints last year about Gaitanis\u2019 event.<\/p>\n \u201cCouncil has an event application process for people wanting to hold an event that includes food vendors, road closures or is on public land,\u201d he said in a statement<\/p>\n \u201cWe received an initial event application from the organiser which included a request to close the road to hold an event across 10 nights, with timings that contravened EPA noise regulations.<\/p>\n \u201cWe refused this application but invited the organiser to work with council to find a more reasonable solution.\u201d<\/p>\n Gaitanis and the council both confirmed a new application with reduced times and days had been submitted on Thursday.<\/p>\n The council statement said it was considering a revised application.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n