Moruya’s CBD could be set for a bleaker Christmas thanks to new Essential Energy requirements for Christmas decorations on power poles.

Lit-up decorations have graced  Vulcan Street’s poles at Christmas for the past 18 years, thanks to the Moruya Business Chamber.

It usually takes Tubby Harrison and a helper an hour to put them up each year, using an occupational health and safety approved ladder, on a quiet Sunday morning. Now the Chamber needs “Essential Energy qualified” people to erect the lights and traffic control procedures put in place.

The Chamber has spent the past month communicating with Essential Energy through Eurobodalla Shire Council in order to reach a solution. But it is still uncertain what qualifications are actually required.

The Chamber is calling on Essential Energy to give them at least one year’s grace to get the issue sorted.

“We want to encourage Essential Energy to help us out with the installation of the Christmas lights this year, that will give us enough time to work with them over the next 12 months to actually get a procedure in place that’s safe for everybody,” Moruya Business Chamber president Steve Picton said.

“We understand their reasons for wanting to do this, but at such short notice prior to Christmas we’ll have no Christmas lights in Vulcan Street unless we have their help.”

Mr Harrison said the community would really miss out if the lights did not go up.

“It’s Christmas and Christmas spirit is about goodwill and helping everybody - we just (want to) put the decorations up,” he said.

Bega MP Andrew Constance told the Bay Post/Moruya Examiner it was “bureaucracy gone mad” and he encouraged the utility to “get in and fix it”.

“If it’s good enough for Essential Energy to ignore the ETU whacking up yellow signs up power poles as part of a political campaign you’d think Essential Energy would go out of their way to support Chambers putting up Christmas signage,” he said.

“This is just red tape bureaucracy gone mad. It’s ridiculous.”

Essential Energy’s south eastern regional manager Phillip Green, in an emailed statement, said Essential Energy supported “in principle” the Chamber’s installation of the Christmas lights.

“Individuals and organisations have the right to choose who carries it out. However, to ensure the safety and reliability of the electricity distribution network only suitably qualified Accredited Service Providers may undertake this type of work,” he said.

“Essential Energy is currently working with the Moruya Chamber of Commerce and Eurobodalla Shire Council in endeavouring to identify a solution regarding the installation of the lights.”