The Invercargill City Council will spend another $250,000 on Christmas lights for the city, and they are coming from China.

Invercargill City Council chief executive Richard King said the council has learnt not to do Christmas on the cheap and would fund the lights from surplus the council made in the last financial year.

In August it was found $5500 of Christmas lights, bought from China last year, were non-compliant with New Zealand standards.

AMBER-LEIGH WOOLF/FAIRFAX NZ An Invercargill Christmas light pictured on Esk St in December 2015. The lights were found to be non-compliant with New Zealand standards in August 2016.

Replacement lights for 2016 will cost the council $250,000 and are expected to arrive on November 12.

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"We've tried doing it on the cheap, but we've learnt not to do it on the cheap."

Mayor Tim Shadbolt said he had not given up on the lights purchased last year, and they could be used at indoor events.

A council staff trip to China in September 2015 which cost ratepayers more than $21,000 ignited questioning about the quality of the lights last year.

When asked if there had been any more council staff trips to China to shop for new lights, Shadbolt said there had not.

"No one will probably ever go overseas ever again."

The new lights had been ordered from Flexilight. Flexilight imports Christmas lights from China and is the biggest seller of Christmas lights to councils in New Zealand.

Electrical preparation work for multiple decorative Christmas trees was already under way. Checks had been made on the cables and connections across Dee and Tay Streets.

Additional lights may also be installed on Esk St. In 2015 there were no lights on Dee or Tay St. King said he thought the Christmas lights had been missed.

King would not comment on the design or style of the lights.

"We want it to be a bit of a surprise. But they look pretty good from what I've seen."

The lights that were in the mail were from China, but met the New Zealand standard, King said.

The Wachner Place tree from last year would be back up.

"It will have a bit more razzmatazz on it this year."

Electricity Invercargill Limited had been asked to assist in the installation.

The council was also undertaking checks on existing fittings to make sure they were suitable.

"People will be pretty proud of them once they go up, and obviously we will be looking for a lifespan of about ten years."

King said the pricetag of the new lights may be on par with that of the city's original Corbett lights, purchased by the council in 1986 for $100,000.

The council planned to begin installation of the decorations on November 26, with the plan to have them up for the Santa parade.

The defunct Christmas lights from 2015 had been written off, King said.

The lights purchased in 2015 were deemed an embarrassment by city councillors in August when they were found to be non-compliant.

Shadbolt said he personally had not been shown any plans or designs for the new Christmas lights.

Council staff would be completing all the necessary checks to make sure the new lights were safe, Shadbolt said.

Last year, the Christmas lights were not raised in time for the Invercargill Santa parade.

This year, it was hoped the lights would be raised in time for the parade on December 3.