Trees in Crown Street Mall have proved controversial for Wollongong City Council in recent years, but the city is nevertheless on the hunt for a new one to stand tall outside the amphitheatre.
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This time it's a Christmas tree, which the council wants to display for nine weeks a year for up to five years.
According to tender documents, the tree - which needs to stand at least 8.5 metres tall - should be designed to encourage visitors to come into the mall and "spend more time in the CBD both day and night".
It should also complement the existing physical and operational environment, and will be accompanied by a "decorative safety fence" and canopy lighting to adorn the nearby outdoor stage.
The council has made some thematic suggestions, which could include a "fresh, vibrant, summer aesthetic" or a "traditional tree with contemporary decorations" including a "high quality tree topper".
Either way, it should have "colour and texture to soften and contrast the surrounding environment".
As well as softening the grey tiled environment, the successful contractor will also have to consider the mall's wind tunnel properties (which proved fatal to the gum trees planted when the mall revamp was first unveiled).
"It is understood that the life of the tree, safety fence and lighting will be suitable for the intended location and purpose and must incorporate appropriate and durable materials for an outdoor public environment and potential high winds," the tender documents said.
Additionally, the decorations must be fade and peel resistant, or at least be able to be replaced (and quickly, within 48 hours) if they do show wear and tear.
They should also be designed to withstand and deter vandalism and damage.
Over the years, the mall has been home to a wide variety of Christmas decorations, from traditional trees, David Jones window displays and giant wreaths and baubles adorning the old turquoise birdcage.
There was even a decade of oversized fibreglass figures - including gargantuan teddy bears and tin soldiers with scary teeth which ended up being even more terrifying as their paint peeled.
And more recently the council installed a "Summer Tree", which was a geometric creation constructed from carbon neutral materials to reflects the colours of a hot Christmas in Australia.
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Kate McIlwain
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
