Merry and bright, or faded and slight?
While some cities festoon their streets and buildings with breathtaking Christmas lights and decorations, Christchurch’s 2017 efforts have drawn criticism.
The Wizard of Christchurch, Ian Brackenbury Channell, said the decorations were ‘‘appalling’’ and ‘‘a big disappointment’’.
‘‘In some streets, there’s none at all. It’s terrible. We need a big cheer up.
‘‘We need nice things in the city. We need music being played and decorations everywhere, and flashing lights.’’ He believed the Christchurch City Council had ‘‘gone mad’’ and was too keen to waste money on consultants and roading redesign, instead of what made people happy. Christmas decorations did not have to be religious and were really about tradition, he said.
The council has given the job of decorating the city for Christmas to marketing and visitor organisation ChristchurchNZ.
ChristchurchNZ’s Adrienne Noon said the annual budget varied according to what items needed maintenance or replacement, but this year’s budget was $35,000.
While some decorations were new this year, others – including all the tinsel outlines installed on lampposts – were seven years old. They are bought locally if possible, although some come from Auckland or overseas.
Members of the Knott family who were shopping in the central city yesterday said while some of the decorations were tasteful, there could be more, and the effort this year was ‘‘a bit slack’’.
They were disappointed not to see the Christmas decorations and lights they saw last year on Hagley Park trees, but admired a wreath and display of coloured balls.
The family lived previously in Durban in South Africa which, despite having a summer Christmas, had some streets strung ‘‘wall to wall’’ with Christmas lights, they said.
Central-city barista Emily Oakley said she ‘‘never even noticed’’ the decorations.
‘‘They could probably have a few more. They could do a bit better,’’ she said.
Some workers and shoppers suggested that while dodging roadworks, construction fences and traffic cones, there was little chance to look at decorations.
Noon said decorations were installed up high to ward off vandals.
As well as the tinsel decorations on lampposts in the central city and the main streets of suburbs including Sydenham and Papanui, there are central-city decorations including:
❚ Stainless-steel trees and reindeers at the Arts Centre, Cathedral Square, The Commons space at the city end of Victoria St and Cathedral Junction.
❚ Baubles at the bus interchange, BNZ Centre and Riverside container mall.
❚ Stars at the BNZ Centre and Gap Filler sites.
❚ The Christmas Hut in Cathedral Square.
❚ Wreath skylines at the BNZ Centre.
The Christmas tree previously in Cathedral Square had been the work of the Christchurch City Mission.
With the cathedral site now out of bounds, the mission is organising other promotions such as the walk of stars at the corner of Cashel and High streets.
The decorations previously used on the mission tree have since been used on a large tree in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens.