Geelong’s floating Christmas tree has earned a three-year lifeline.
Council administrators have committed $400,000 a year to keep it shining until 2018 after an independent review said the tree was worth millions of dollars a year to the city’s economy.
One of the last acts of Geelong’s sacked council was to vote in favour of keeping the tree for at least three more years but interim administrator Yehudi Blacher guaranteed only one pending the review.
He ordered the assessment amid calls to dump the tree amid rising costs and doubts about its financial worth to Geelong.
But Mr Blacher’s three permanent replacements this week revealed that the report confirmed the tree had “significant economic benefits to the region”.
“The Christmas tree provides a cost-benefit return of 5.4 times in Geelong,” chief administrator Dr Kathy Alexander said.
“So for every dollar invested, we get an economic return of $5.40.
“In 2015, Geelong’s Christmas program attracted 213,000 visits with an estimated total economic output of $15.6M for Geelong.
“Central Geelong traders also benefit from the city’s annual Christmas program, reporting a bumper Christmas trading period in 2015.
“The overall Christmas program, including the Geelong floating Christmas tree, street decorations, children’s activities, and festive lighting lifts our community’s spirit and increases visitor numbers.
“The city is committed to continuing to work closely with the community to consult and collaborate on major projects, such as our annual Christmas program.”
The tree was the brainchild of former mayor Darryn Lyons, who the Andrews Government sacked with Geelong’s 12 other councillors in April.
Mr Lyons, who said he was tipped off to the decision earlier in the week, called it a “great result for the community”.
“I know that the community, the kids, people of every generation will be very happy. It’s great the administrators have seen fit to listen to the people of Geelong.”
Mr Lyons called on State Government to now hand responsibility for the tree to the government’s major events arm.
“The economic benefit of the tree is proven as immense. They now need to make it bigger and better each year as a Geelong’s major tourist attraction and Australia’s number-one floating attraction.”
