Residents of this popular seaside town have been left furious over a “pathetic” and “embarrassing” council-decorated Christmas tree.
One frustrated local took to Facebook to post a lengthy, scathing review about this 12 months’s Christmas tree that was being showcased within the town of Forster on Recent South Wales, Australia’s mid north coast.
A user called Midcoast Aerial Photography called out the “ugly Mr Squiggle” tree and tagged the local council within the post, in order that they’d see the criticism.
“This is completely pathetic, what an embarrassing effort,” they wrote.
“Not that I expect anything less from our council, but this must stop. Consider before reading — the Mr. Squiggle effort took three days to finish.
“For all the cash, effort and promoting that’s spent in tourism from people like myself and lots of other dedicated content creators, businesses and organisations within the region bringing people to our beautiful area, there may be nothing that screams neglect and lack of interest greater than an unthoughtful, rushed, ugly, non-Christmassy, rope light installation on arguably one of the crucial noticeable trees in all the Forster-Tuncurry.”
“What kills me more is that in previous years all of the feedback that you simply would have gotten for the very same thing, hasn’t been learned from, and as a substitute of being rectified or modified with the assistance of community feedback has been replicated yet again, as if it’s some sort of a winning formula.”
The poster then compared a Christmas tree from one other 12 months with the recent one, and asked whether that is the very best that the council could create.
“Is that actually the very best the creative minds on the council can provide you with? A little bit of rope light dangling out of a tree?” they asked.
“If I didn’t know higher I’d’ve thought it was Halloween with that scary effort. In previous years, we had the tree next to Beach St. Seafoods with the hula hoops (to represent baubles) was WAY classier – what went incorrect?”
“It was once beautiful sight at night all lit up.”
Other locals agreed with the poster, sharing their disappointment within the Christmas tree.
“It truthfully would have been higher off not being done in any respect … it’s a hideous mess,” wrote one.
“What’s that? Glow up toilet paper?” one other asked.
“Our beautiful paradise deserves lots more so ugly such a disaster effort,” a neighborhood wrote.
“How embarrassing for the town.”
The local council caught wind of the frustration from locals and posted a response to the matter on its website a day later.
It said its staff weren’t “skilled tree decorators” and identified that this “comes at a price”.
“MidCoast Council is aware of the community comment on social media on the Christmas decorations installed on an iconic tree in Forster,” the statement read.
“Council’s Director of Liveable Communities, Paul De Szell, said that while the lighting won’t be appreciated by some locally even the small amount of decorating comes at a price.”
“Installing Christmas lights on large trees resembling it is a specialist operation that we shouldn’t have the budget to deliver.”
“Our staff are usually not skilled tree decorators and we’ve got delivered what was possible with the budget available and in the identical way we’ve got in previous years.”
“In May this 12 months the elected Council made a call to now not undertake Christmas lighting displays after this 12 months, with the lights to be donated to local business and community groups to be used in future years.”
The statement also indicated the council could be leaving the decorating of the town’s Christmas tree to local residents going forward, following the backlash.
“Providing Christmas lighting is just not a core service of Council, or something we’ve got expert skills in, hence the choice to permit the community the chance to take ownership of the lighting going forward,” it read.”
“We have now had conversations with the Wharf Street Traders about this and the opportunities that exist in the longer term.”
“Some sections of the community seem like very keen about the lighting and this may give them the chance to be involved in the selections around it.”
“The fee of the lights, installation and removal on the Forster site are roughly $8000 with Christmas lights across the region costing the Council $25,000. Nearly all of the prices related to installing and removing the lights is from crane hire.”
“Council has also supported the installation of timber trees and tree wraps in Wharf Street Forster, which were also installed this week. Disappointingly some have already been stolen.”
“Christmas-themed banners have been installed within the most important centres of Taree, Forster and Gloucester and Council also undertakes a store window Christmas display competition.”
MidCoast Council has been contacted for comment.
Residents of this popular seaside town have been left furious over a “pathetic” and “embarrassing” council-decorated Christmas tree.
One frustrated local took to Facebook to post a lengthy, scathing review about this 12 months’s Christmas tree that was being showcased within the town of Forster on Recent South Wales, Australia’s mid north coast.
A user called Midcoast Aerial Photography called out the “ugly Mr Squiggle” tree and tagged the local council within the post, in order that they’d see the criticism.
“This is completely pathetic, what an embarrassing effort,” they wrote.
“Not that I expect anything less from our council, but this must stop. Consider before reading — the Mr. Squiggle effort took three days to finish.
“For all the cash, effort and promoting that’s spent in tourism from people like myself and lots of other dedicated content creators, businesses and organisations within the region bringing people to our beautiful area, there may be nothing that screams neglect and lack of interest greater than an unthoughtful, rushed, ugly, non-Christmassy, rope light installation on arguably one of the crucial noticeable trees in all the Forster-Tuncurry.”
“What kills me more is that in previous years all of the feedback that you simply would have gotten for the very same thing, hasn’t been learned from, and as a substitute of being rectified or modified with the assistance of community feedback has been replicated yet again, as if it’s some sort of a winning formula.”
The poster then compared a Christmas tree from one other 12 months with the recent one, and asked whether that is the very best that the council could create.
“Is that actually the very best the creative minds on the council can provide you with? A little bit of rope light dangling out of a tree?” they asked.
“If I didn’t know higher I’d’ve thought it was Halloween with that scary effort. In previous years, we had the tree next to Beach St. Seafoods with the hula hoops (to represent baubles) was WAY classier – what went incorrect?”
“It was once beautiful sight at night all lit up.”
Other locals agreed with the poster, sharing their disappointment within the Christmas tree.
“It truthfully would have been higher off not being done in any respect … it’s a hideous mess,” wrote one.
“What’s that? Glow up toilet paper?” one other asked.
“Our beautiful paradise deserves lots more so ugly such a disaster effort,” a neighborhood wrote.
“How embarrassing for the town.”
The local council caught wind of the frustration from locals and posted a response to the matter on its website a day later.
It said its staff weren’t “skilled tree decorators” and identified that this “comes at a price”.
“MidCoast Council is aware of the community comment on social media on the Christmas decorations installed on an iconic tree in Forster,” the statement read.
“Council’s Director of Liveable Communities, Paul De Szell, said that while the lighting won’t be appreciated by some locally even the small amount of decorating comes at a price.”
“Installing Christmas lights on large trees resembling it is a specialist operation that we shouldn’t have the budget to deliver.”
“Our staff are usually not skilled tree decorators and we’ve got delivered what was possible with the budget available and in the identical way we’ve got in previous years.”
“In May this 12 months the elected Council made a call to now not undertake Christmas lighting displays after this 12 months, with the lights to be donated to local business and community groups to be used in future years.”
The statement also indicated the council could be leaving the decorating of the town’s Christmas tree to local residents going forward, following the backlash.
“Providing Christmas lighting is just not a core service of Council, or something we’ve got expert skills in, hence the choice to permit the community the chance to take ownership of the lighting going forward,” it read.”
“We have now had conversations with the Wharf Street Traders about this and the opportunities that exist in the longer term.”
“Some sections of the community seem like very keen about the lighting and this may give them the chance to be involved in the selections around it.”
“The fee of the lights, installation and removal on the Forster site are roughly $8000 with Christmas lights across the region costing the Council $25,000. Nearly all of the prices related to installing and removing the lights is from crane hire.”
“Council has also supported the installation of timber trees and tree wraps in Wharf Street Forster, which were also installed this week. Disappointingly some have already been stolen.”
“Christmas-themed banners have been installed within the most important centres of Taree, Forster and Gloucester and Council also undertakes a store window Christmas display competition.”
MidCoast Council has been contacted for comment.
