Jellicoe Park Christmas Tree to shine again3 min read

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The Jellicoe Park ‘Christmas Tree’ will light up again this year, but the traditional lights have been replaced with modern laser lights to protect the iconic tree.

The laser lights will debut at the Onehunga Christmas in the Park event on Friday, 29th November, and will be on for a month, with community feedback being sought afterwards.

Last year, the tree wasn’t lit due to budget constraints, and many visitors were unaware of the change until the night. Instead, tealight candles were exchanged for cans of food, and many were disappointed by the lack of festive tree lighting.

Local business owner, Shane Clapson, launched a petition at the end of last year, calling for the return of the traditional lights. The petition garnered 238 signatures, and several offers from residents and businesses willing to contribute towards the cost of lighting the tree.

“It’s great that the petition gained some traction and hopefully had some small hand in motivating the local board,” says Shane.

While Shane is pleased the tree is being lit again, he doubts it will be the same as the traditional lights, and hopes the local board will investigate sponsorship or fundraising for the future.

“I was speaking on behalf of the community when I started the petition,” says Shane. “I appreciate the board exploring the use of laser lights as an alternative, but I doubt this option will have the same effect or impact as the actual tree lights that the community has come to treasure for over fifty years.”

“The colourful laser lights have special effects, and will replace the costly stringed lights to protect the aging tree,” says Maungakiekie-Tamaki Local Board chair, Maria Meredith. They are looking at making them a permanent fixture too.

“Jellicoe Park is going to look amazing, and even though budgets are still tight, it’s great to be creative and change the settings each year to explore different ways of doing things,” says Maria.

After the event this year, the local board will work with the community to gather feedback on the new lighting.

“Based on the feedback, we may consider using laser lights for other special events, such as Matariki,” says Manager Area Operations Howick and Maungakiekie-Tamaki Local Boards, Marcel Morgan.

The cost of renting the laser lights is $26,000, comparable to the estimated expense of traditional lights, especially given the cost increase since the last event two years ago,” he says.

The laser lights will also be beneficial as there will be no need to climb the tree, or conduct maintenance.

“The local board is dedicated to preserving this iconic tree and tradition by providing a vibrant and sustainable Christmas display for Onehunga each year. Traditional string lights have ongoing maintenance and can potentially harm the tree, and is not a feasible long-term option. As a result, the local board will explore permanent laser lights, and a final decision will be made after consulting with the community.