But they came down with a message to all those people who complained that they had been left up too long.

“Why didn’t you volunteer to help?”

It was a question posed by local builder Adam Sturt, who volunteered his time and who donated about $3000 worth of manpower to put the Santa decorations up before Christmas and then bring them down.

Mr Sturt was approached by the Nowra CBD Promotions Committee about offering time to help install the decorations.

“We are a very young company and we’re very busy. I’ve got 10 guys going flat out at the moment, we’re doing eight to 12-hour days.

“We just haven’t had the time to take them down. It took about five hours for four of us to put them up and it will probably take about four hours to bring them down.

“But if people are whingeing about it, why don’t they come down and help us do it?

“I didn’t mind helping to put them up. I’ve grown up here and have pride in the town. It was nice to give something back, it’s good to help out,” Mr Sturt said.

CBD Promotions Committee member Linda Marquis was among the volunteers who helped put the decorations up.

“We copped a bit of abuse from people as we were putting them up. It took us hours in the rain.

“A Lions club used to own them but as their members got older they got rid of them. We purchased 50 of them.

“So it’s volunteers who put them up and bring them down each year and we’re always looking for help.

“In fact the committee would be interested in any group who would like to use the decorations for a fundraiser each year. It would mean being responsible for storing them and making sure they were only used in the CBD.

“We’re also looking for a group who would be interested in repainting the Santas, they could use a facelift,” she said.

To be a part of the Christmas Santas contact Linda on 4423 3522.