Positive comments flow for Lismore's new Christmas tree

THERE have been some positive reactions to Lismore's new Christmas Tree which was unveiled this morning on the corner of Magellan and Keen Streets.

The new Christmas Tree on the corner of Magellan and Keen Streets in Lismore CBD. Picture: Melissa Gulbin

UPDATE 11.27am: THERE have been some positive reactions to Lismore's new Christmas Tree which was unveiled this morning on the corner of Magellan and Keen Streets.

Local Michael Rossington sent this email to The Northern Star this morning:

"How absolutely bloody brilliant and well done to all involved at Lismore Council for the wonderful bicycle Christmas Tree erected on the roundabout on corner of Keen and Magellan streets in Lismore," he said.

"Lismore Council gets a lot of stick (sometimes from me), but this Tree is nothing but brilliant.

"It ticks all the boxes, recycled waste, solar power, pretty to the eye, beautifies a dull roundabout and has the WOW factor.

"I was in Rotarua in New Zealand in August this year and they have one as well.

"It was built for Christmas but the people loved it so much it was still up in August and has been made a permanent fixture.

"And ours looks even better than theirs.

"I have been watching people for the last hour or so, taking photos, making positive comments and the delight they are showing is wonderful.

"So well done Lismore Council, it is awesome." 

UPDATE 10.39am: LISMORE is now the proud owner of a new recycled Christmas tree, bringing quirky colour and vibrance to the CBD this festive season.

The tree was dreamed up by Council's executive committee, which decided Council should give the Lismore community a gift for Christmas that represented the city's values as well as being fun and different.

The new tree is made entirely from old bikes from the Revolve Shop, which would have ended up as scrap metal.

These were welded onto the steel frame at the Council metal shop and the structure was then painted all colours of the rainbow by Council staff and their families, in their own time.

Dan Kubelka, the Lismore City Council Fabrication and Sign Shop Supervisor, said the colourful new Christmas tree that popped up on the streets of Lismore this morning was a gift from Lismore City Council to the people of Lismore.

Mr Kubelka said they were given the brief of using staff from in-house, and as much recycled goods as they could get their hands on.

"We went and had a look at what we could get our hands on from the tip that was recycled or recyclable," he said.

"We got close to one hundred bikes.

"We had a whole team of people discuss  the ideas, and we come up with a tree roughly in that shape, and it evolved as it went along into what it is now.

"The fabrication shop basically put the welding side together.

"Along the way we got a heap of volunteers to come in and paint it from council, and some people's kids came in after hours, and they decorated and painted all the wheels and all the rest of it.

"We've used all teams from council. Bridge crew did the cranes, we've got the parks guys doing the traffic control, waste department pretty heavily involved, chasing down all the bikes as they came in. Fabrication department putting it  together and a whole bunch of other people … even the mayor came down and painted some wheels.

"The cost was pretty minimal.

"Nikel energy gave us the solar panels to light it.

"We tried to make this something fun that got all the team involved in giving something back to the community."

The response out on the streets to the new tree had been positive so far.

"Fantastic. It's been a really good response so far that I've heard, people driving past shouting out we love it and things like that."

INITIAL REPORT: IT'S beginning to look a lot like a thrifty upcycled Christmas for Lismore.

At 6am Lismore City council workers assembled a Christmas tree made from recycled bikes on the corner of Keen and Magellan Street.

According to a council spokesperson, the tree was made entirely from old bikes sourced from the Lismore Revolve Shop at Lismore Recycling & Recovery Centre.

What's more the tree was built for free by council workers in their spare time.