Alliance spokesperson Sam Warren told the Herald the cost has raised questions about spending priorities.

“There is no doubt that the tree will be beautiful – it should be, given its incredibly high price,” Warren said.

“But given the state of things and the fact that everyone has had to tighten their belts, it’s hard not to wonder if this is a ‘nice to have’ and not a necessity.”

The alliance, an offshoot of the Taxpayers’ Union, has made an application under the Local Government Official Meetings and Information Act seeking details of the full breakdown of costs. This proposal was, however, refused.

In a letter seen by the Herald, The council said Wednesday it was temporarily withholding funding information because “this information will soon be available to the public” in a news release that was due to be issued last Friday.

The council’s press release does not include full cost details. He said $400,000 from taxpayers would go toward the cost of purchasing the fake tree and another $400,000 would go toward operational funding for the next few years.

Warren was disappointed that the board did not offer a full breakdown and claimed a lack of transparency.

“We had a lot of trouble figuring out exactly how much it costs,” he said.

“Every dollar spent by Auckland Council must be easily defensible, and choosing to release only a fraction of the information requested through a carefully crafted press release is simply not enough.

The council said an undisclosed portion of its funding came from the rate targeted at downtown businesses and residents.

Jenny Larking, Auckland Council’s city center programs manager, said: “Funding (the tree) through the city center targeted rate means that resources provided by downtown businesses and residents- city ​​are reinvested for the benefit of the same community.

The council said the tree, nicknamed Te Manaaki (Respect, Care or Hospitality), was an “exciting new festive tradition for Auckland” and was “an important investment for the city that will be enjoyed for many years to come future “.

The tree will be made of a steel frame and decorated with 10,000 individual LED lights, 4,000 pōhutukawa flowers and more than 200 giant stainless steel balls.

Heart of the City said the tree would be “sustainable with long-lasting materials… built to be a permanent feature of Auckland’s festive season for many years to come”.

Te Manaaki will be lit up during a special event on November 23. Construction will begin outside Britomart and Commerical Bay station on November 17.

Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based journalist covering current affairs. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.

Subscribe to Daily Ha free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.