The official Grinch is yet to be found.

But, for the fourth year running, the Town Green will be without Christmas lights.

Three-year-old Lachlan wants to know why there’s no “big tree” in Port Macquarie, either.

His mum, Katrina O’Connor, said it was disappointing to see a lack of festive spirit surrounding an official Christmas tree site and she was not alone.

“So many people have asked, ‘Where’s the tree?’, so I’ve rung council and the chamber of commerce and they said it’s not going to happen – it’s disgraceful,” she said.

“In these harder economic times it would be nice to see some festive spirit to lift the community and bring some good cheer.”

Although Port Macquarie-Hastings Council did not take

a hands-on approach to

decorating the township, a media spokesman said it ran a tender seeking submissions from the chamber and

community groups to share in a $9400 Christmas and New Year slush fund.

This ran in the Public Notices of the Port News in September.

“Council doesn’t want to look like the Christmas Grinch here, and we certainly aren’t,” council’s media spokesman said.

“Seven groups across the Hastings have put in

submissions to share in the monies council had on offer in order to raise Christmas spirit.”

Port Macquarie Chamber of Commerce executive

Hadyn Oriti said this year, due to mounting complications, the tree would not be spruced up.

“There’s been complications with the lights, getting the

necessary equipment, a cherry picker of the right height and issues with an osprey and cabling,” he said.

“The chamber is not geared toward dealing with these sorts of events, so in its (the Christmas tree’s) place

we have got the lights competition.”

The council’s spokesman said the chamber had not made a submission this year for the Christmas funds, but had

been granted $5000 in past years.

“We would still be open to discuss this further with the chamber if they wanted to jump on board this year,” the spokesman said.