A kids Christmas tree has been installed at Freeborn Park in Main Street,Alstonville next to Santa’s letterbox and is festooned with lights.

This year, Council is running a Christmas tree decorating competition and warmly invites staff, schools, the community and surrounds to take part.
Christmas is prone to become a time of higher consumption and higher waste volumes. The amount of waste we produce in Australia increases by 30% at Christmas time. This project is designed to promote the benefits of upcycling or reusing what we have, as well as allow Council to facilitate a community activity regardless of what health restrictions may apply.
The competition has been directly promoted to schools and community groups, as well as on social media. An outline of the competition is below:
Simply make a small (up to 15cm2) tree decoration out of upcycled or reused materials where possible and place it on the child-friendly sized tree.

Here's what to do:
1. make a tree decoration out of primarily reused/upcycled materials. We recommend using what you have, searching charity shops or visiting the Salvage Shed tip shop for treasures.
2. hang your decoration on the Freeborn Park Christmas tree in Alstonville
3. enter a pic of your decoration and go in the draw to win one of three $50 vouchers from an Alstonville business of your choice (competition QR code located at the tree, or head to ballina.nsw.gov.au/christmastree). Group or solo entries welcome.
Decorations must be secured to the tree and withstand the elements. Entries close Wednesday 22 December 2021. If you wish to collect your decoration, please do so before 1 January 2022 when the tree will be removed.

For more information and to view the guidelines, head to ballina.nsw.gov.au/christmastree

Kids can also post letters to santa via Santa's letter box installed next to the tree.