Dawn Crichlow doesn’t want to spend $40k on Christmas lights on lifeguard towers

As the city plans its Christmas decorations, one Gold Coast councillor is seeing red about spending $40,000 on some controversial displays.

COUNCILLORS are divided about spending money on lighting up lifeguard towers rather than trees as an investigation continues on the failure of expensive beach decorations.

An updated report to council shows the city’s spend on Christmas lights will increase from $472,000 to $535,000 as officers work on a solution for the challenging lifeguard tower bud lighting.

But the forecasted $40,000 outlay to light up the city’s 25 lifeguard towers is the item which veteran councillor Dawn Crichlow continues to see red about.

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Lifeguard towers will be lit up for Christmas.

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“I thought that was the wrong place for it,” Cr Crichlow told the Bulletin.

“I’ve always thought that if you are lighting things up, you light up the trees. It’s all about Christmas trees.

“This is Christmas. You don’t light up a bloody lifeguard tower. This is stupidity. It’s only going to encourage people to use the water (the surf) after dark.”

A new updated report to council confirms celebrating Christmas is a serious and costly business.

“It can cost councillors $40,000. It’s a lot of money to light up a pine tree. Christmas is an expensive business,” a council source said.

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Dawn Crichlow and the great Christmas light debate — pictured here in Southport in 2003. Pic: Wayne Jones.

Council officers in their report provided feedback on lifeguard tower decorations which last year included fairy lights.

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The report shows indoor and outdoor decorations on the existing sites used require a $120,000 spend.

Larger items like a digital ribbon tree installed next to Bundall Road cost the same amount for an installation.

Officers recommend moving it to replace another tree in the Broadwater Parklands. Christmas banners spread across the city require a budget of $50,000.

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A Christmas tree with decorations in Southport at the Broadwater Parklands. Photo: Jerad Williams.

“The lighting had a positive visual impact however, some lighting failures occurred during the six-week Christmas display,” the officer’s report said.

“The failures occurred due to harsh coastal environment — the wind, salt spray and rain.”

Lifeguard services officers were currently working on a solution, the report added.

By the end of 2021 council hopes to have a “whole of city lighting and decorations base”.