Adelaide City Council votes to sell Big Santa to TV personality Andrew Cosi Costello for $2

He was destined for the scrap heap, but Big Santa has been saved by a local celebrity and is expected to make a triumphant return to Adelaide’s CBD.

Big Santa is poised to make a return to the Adelaide CBD in time for Christmas 2022 after a three-year absence.

Adelaide City Council has voted unanimously to sell the 16.4m-tall, three-tonne fibreglass, steel and timber structure to media personality Andrew “Cosi” Costello for $2.

The popular TV and breakfast radio host will work with Christmas Pageant sponsor National Pharmacies on restoring the ageing figure so it can return to public display for Christmas next year.

The council last week received expressions of interest from Mr Costello and an advertising agency representing National Pharmacies after it became public that Big Santa was facing the scrap heap.

Big Santa at his last home on the Adelaide Central Market in 2018 before he was put into storage.

Big Santa has faced being taken to landfill since the History Trust of SA rejected an offer from the council to take him off the hands of the Adelaide Central Market Authority, which inherited him from department store David Jones.

The Advertiser last week publicly highlighted Big Santa’s plight, calling for a rescue plan to be formulated to avoid him being scrapped.

Mr Costello offered to buy him while National Pharmacies expressed interest through its advertising agency, The Rowdy Group, in putting him near its store in James Place, next to Rundle Mall.

West Torrens Council mayor Michael Coxon also put up his hand, writing to Adelaide Central Market Authority chairman Theo Maras saying Big Santa could become part of the long-running Christmas lights display on the River Torrens beside the West End Brewery at Thebarton.

Elected members on Tuesday night voted for the council to ask Mr Costello to work with The Rowdy Group to determine what could be done with Big Santa at no further cost to ratepayers.

In his letter to Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor, Mr Costello said he would raise funds to restore Big Santa while TPG Transport had offered to move him to free storage facilities provided by another company.

“It has always been my lifelong passion to serve the South Australian people and keep traditions like Big Santa alive for as long as we can,” he said.

Big Santa was put into storage by the Adelaide Central Market Authority in 2018. Picture: Jeff Smith/JP Media

Cr Greg Mackie, who is History Trust of SA chief executive, suggested Mr Costello collaborate with The Rowdy Group on ensuring Big Santa’s future.

“I brought this matter to council in May but that is now water under the bridge,” he said.

“The fact that The Advertiser picked this up and ran with it spoke of the desire to see Santa stay in the city.

“I appreciate that there are external parties that recognise this.”

Cr Mackie said was pleasing to hear Santa would be restored and put back on display before spending the rest of his time “in his Santa man cave somewhere in the western suburbs”.

A QUESTION OF PRIORITIES

The estimated repair bill of $34,000 for Big Santa is a drop in the bucket for Adelaide City Council. With an annual budget of $260m, the council regularly spends similar amounts – and much more – on individual projects across the city and North Adelaide.

Recent examples include $60,000 on the reintroduction of Adelaide Flower Day, $60,000 on a pedestrian crossing for a North Adelaide childcare centre and $140,000 on an art installation outside the Adelaide Central Market. Some bigger ticket items over the past couple of years have been the $4m upgrade of Moonta St in Chinatown, $3m on new footpaths and traffic controls around Whitmore Square and $3m on a new city skate park. Then there was the $17m upgrade of Gawler Place, a project initially expected to cost $7.85m.

The biggest expense with Big Santa is the annual cost of putting it on the side of a building – and paying for the shed where it is stored. This works out around $90,000 a year.

In terms of what condition he is in, Big Santa’s fibreglass needs to be replaced, there is extensive repainting required and rust is throughout the structure. One option being examined is starting again and building a new Big Santa from scratch but would cost several hundred thousand dollars.

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Cr Alexander Hyde said selling Santa to Mr Costello and getting him to work with National Pharmacies on his future “is the best way forward”.

“Gifting Santa to Cosi is giving one South Australian icon to another South Australian icon,” he said.

Cr Phillip Martin said it was a shame the council’s finances were in such a poor state that it could not afford to repair, store and install Big Santa.

“I just lament that we have not got better financial circumstances that would enable us to keep it in the city at the location we want,” he said.

A council report said it cost ratepayers $83,798 for road closures, crane hire and rigging when he was put up and taken down from the Adelaide Central Market in 2018. A further $10,000 was spent on storage.

Ms Verschoor said Big Santa would return to the streets of Adelaide.

“Christmas is a magical time in Adelaide,” she said.

“I’m delighted to have been able to work with Cosi and accept his generous offer to ensure Big Santa will continue to be part of our city’s Christmas celebrations for generations to come.”

Ms Verschoor said Big Santa would be housed, refreshed and reinstalled in time for Christmas next year
“We look forward to welcoming the big guy back to the city,” she said.