Alpine Energy not willing to install Timaru’s Christmas lights over safety concerns

Thursday, 29 May 2025

A proposal to cut the funding for Timaru’s Christmas decorations was met with a firm rejection from the community, but even if the council decides to put them up this year they now face another hurdle.

The Christmas decorations were a hot topic during Timaru District Council’s (TDC) Annual Plan hearings this week, with mayor Nigel Bowen even joking they had helped “drive submissions”.

Giving an overview of the feedback in the 129 submissions received, the council’s corporate and strategic planner, Steph Forde, said there had been a strong response about the decorations.

“There was a very strong theme about the Christmas decorations on Stafford St … which is great, we have a very engaged community,” Forde said.

However, if the council decided to fund the maintenance and installation again this year, it would need to find another way to hang the lights with its regular supplier pulling the pin.

“Netcon [Alpine Energy] have indicated that they’re not prepared to do that for this coming financial year … due to safety concerns, more than anything else.

“They are quite nervous about walking over the top of private verandahs … to connect them up,” TDC infrastructure group manager, Andrew Dixon, said.

Dixon said that did not mean the council would not be able to find an alternative supplier to do the work.

“That is definitely an option.”

Councillor Peter Burt corrected Dixon, pointing out that Netcon had been absorbed back under the Alpine Energy brand, before raising questions over the sensibility of that decision.

“We are talking about social currency here, you know being a good corporate citizen.

“Has that question been put to them, because they are, they see themselves or place themselves as being in that space.”

Burt said there were other methods for installing the lights which would require more traffic management, but would not require accessing the verandahs.

“I could come up with a few myself, I may be wrong, but I know that I can.”

In September, Alpine Energy confirmed it would stop all community sponsorship in the wake of its overcharging saga, which saw customers overcharged to the tune of about $19 million over more than nine years.

The community-owned South Canterbury lines company had also suspended dividends to its shareholders.

An Alpine Energy spokesperson confirmed the move on Wednesday saying they were stepping back to focus on delivering an “increased programme of work” on its network.

“Most decoration work uses elevated work platforms with minimal verandah access. We’re working closely with TDC to ensure a smooth transition and will continue to support where we can,” they said.

Burt said he had heard from people willing to put their hand in their pocket, or give time and energy, to make sure the lights go up this year.

Bowen said he had also had emails from the community and questioned whether there could be community funding available to retain and maintain them.

“Ultimately, we put this conversation up … to challenge the community to say this is costly, and some would say its core business … but it comes at a cost.”

He said the lights also needed to be upgraded.

Dixon went a step further saying the lights were “getting towards the end of their useful life” at almost 50 years old, and would need to be replaced.

“That is something the council needs to think about.

“They will be OK to put up for one more year, definitely, probably two.”

He then asked whether council should fund repairs, or look at external funding and gave the example of the town’s Christmas star which was installed at Caroline Bay thanks to private funding.

It had been less than two years since the council confirmed it had spent $130k on a 9.1 metre tall Christmas tree for the town.

Burt challenged Dixon on his comment about the lights getting to the end of their useful life, and asked whether they could be or had been repaired.

“We have been repairing them quite extensively, new wings put on, new lighting,” Dixon replied.

“Its really getting to the point where the cables themselves are starting to get beyond their use by date, the electrical as well as the cables holding them up. You are talking about a complete rebuild.”

Bowen said, “we need someone to do that” and asked for a business case so councillors could understand the cost involved.

Councillor Stu Piddington asked whether the fibreglass shells of the angels were also in need of replacement.

“We have been replacing the fibreglass angels … and we do have spare parts for that when they break,” Dixon said, adding the frequency of them being damaged due to weather was increasing as they age and become more brittle.