Geelong's floating Christmas tree has been towed into position in Corio Bay for its second year, ready for its lighting ceremony on Friday night. The 25-metre-tall tree features 11,000 reflective discs and will be illuminated nightly until January, with lights synchronized to music accessible via a downloadable app.
Mayor Darryn Lyons announced that this year's display will include a smoke machine, calling the tree 'council's present to the community.' He stated, 'The music sounds fantastic and the light beams illuminate the sky through the smoke machine.' The ten-tonne tree was initially budgeted at about $1 million over five years for construction, storage, and maintenance.
In August, the company responsible for managing the tree withdrew, citing an inability to provide the service for the agreed amount. The council considered a land-based location to cut costs but opted to directly manage the tree in 2015, a move likely to exceed the budget. Some locals and councillors argued the funds could be better spent elsewhere.
Mayor Lyons previously claimed the tree generated a $10 million tourism windfall for the city during the 2014-15 Christmas period. The council estimated 30,000 people attended the 2014 lighting ceremony, with over 150,000 visitors to the tree over the holiday season.
