Nelson’s $100,000 flower baskets

Nelson’s hanging flower baskets are either a colourful badge of civic pride or décor reminiscent of a 1950s retirement village, depending on who you ask.

However, one thing that’s not up for debate is the reality of their annual $100,000 cost.

The baskets were on track to be pruned out of Nelson City Council’s 2024-34 Long Term Plan to save costs, but councillors narrowly voted to keep them in the draft plan during a meeting last month.

Councillor Mel Courtney led the effort to retain the baskets, saying removing them would do “untold reputational damage” to the city.

“The flowering baskets mean a lot to people and would be missed by so many if taken away. The hanging baskets show we care, the hanging baskets show that we have civic pride,” he said.

Not all elected members were persuaded by his argument however, with councillor Pete Rainey saying that not everyone in the city loved the flower baskets.

“There are also some that say the hanging baskets make the town look like an old people’s home. I don’t necessarily think the same thing, but I can understand where they’re coming from. It certainly stamps the city with a certain style.”

He believed the annual $100,000 cost could instead be directed to more frequent cleaning of the city centre, something he said retailers wanted.

Deputy mayor Rohan O’Neill-Stevens voted in favour of retaining the baskets but also raised the possibility of the money being used to hire someone dedicated to revitalising the central city.

Mayor Nick Smith said removing the baskets would be a “retrograde step” but did say the council should explore possibilities to economise the cost of the baskets.

Since 2003, the baskets have cost a total of $1.7 million. The cost for the 2023/24 summer season was $108,724 for 730 baskets – about $148 per basket.

If the baskets remain in the 2024-34 Long Term Plan, they are expected to cost about $1 million over the next decade.

Retailers initially contributed to the baskets with an initial $20 fee that eventually rose over time to $40.

New retailers joining the display paid higher costs of up to $95 to help pay for the irrigation system, while retailers outside of the CBD paid $120 to be involved.

However, this approach was abandoned after the 2020/21 summer when the council began footing the entire bill.

This ensured the baskets were spread consistently through the city after some retailers had dropped out of the display, resulting in an uneven spread of baskets.

Simon Duffy, manager of Uniquely Nelson, says the baskets contribute to the beautification of the Nelson’s central city and provide a ‘point of difference’ between Nelson and other cities.

“The hanging flower baskets certainly add to the CBD in several different ways.”

Simon says he has spoken to several retailers since the council made its decision to retain the baskets in its draft Long Term Plan.

He says they were all supportive of the move, despite the cost of them.

Simon says he gets similar feedback from visitors to the city as well.

“The positivity around the flowers is huge.”

The council is expected to adopt its consultation document for the 2024-34 Long Term Plan on 21 March.

Consultation will follow soon after, allowing residents to provide feedback on dozens of proposals, including the proposal to fund the hanging basket display for the next 10 years.