Which tree stars?

Hobart’s $141,000 jewel unveiled as cities vie for bragging rights

HOBART ratepayers last night basked in the glory of their new $141,000 Christmas tree: bold and brassy and most importantly — loftier than Launceston’s.

The 14m tall tree has reopened age-old North-South rivalries as Hobart Lord Mayor Sue Hickey bragged that Hobart’s was bigger and better than our northern brethrens’ tree, which measures up as a mere shrub at 10m.

“It has cost us $141,000 but it’s meant that over 10 years it’s going to be a wonderful investment for the city of Hobart,” Alderman Hickey said of Tasmania’s official No. 1 tree.

“It’s a 14m high tree so it’s much bigger than the one in Launceston.”

But Launceston Mayor Albert van Zetten said his city had managed to secure for it- self an official tree more than two-thirds the size for less than one-seventh the cost. “The City of Launceston was proud to contribute $20,000 towards the cost of the 10m-tall Christmas tree, which was purchased by Cityprom on behalf of the city in 2010,” he said.

“I think Launceston’s tree is much loved by the community, and it brings a lot of smiles to the children of northern Tasmania.”

And what of the Christmas “tree” Hobart loves to hate?

The much-derided $35,000 bundle of chrome poles sits forlorn in Salamanca Place, evoking nothing more Christmassy than an annual blizzard of letters to the Mercury.

That tree gave all the appearance of having been forgotten last night, topped by a gold star, but without so much as a piece of tinsel.

“The public made it pretty clear they wanted a traditional tree,” Ald Hickey said.

She turned her back on the chrome version, declaring it “Hobart’s Other Tree”.