Three Invercargill City Council staff who went to China to purchase Christmas lights failed to decide what lights they wanted.

The controversial trip, which cost ratepayers more than $21,000, resulted in elected councillors sparking up about the lighting issue at a full council meeting on Tuesday.

Some were in favour of the trip and some weren't.

Council chief executive Richard King said last week four staff had gone to Invercargill's sister city, Suqian, with three on the trip to purchase replacement Christmas lights for the CBD.

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However, a report to Tuesday's council meeting by finance director Dean Johnston revealed they had not bought any lights while in China.

The council staffers checked out plenty of lights and were assured the Chinese could provide a cost effective solution to Invercargill's festival, decoration and lighting issues, but the staff had yet to decide what they wanted, he said.

Johnston's report recommended that a festival and lighting plan be developed over the next two weeks to commence the installation of lights and decorations in Esk St for this Christmas and further CBD areas over the next two to three years.

The council also agreed to investigate installing a 10m Christmas tree in Wachner Place along with smaller trees in Invercargill suburbs and Bluff.

Councillor Ian Pottinger questioned whether anything was achieved on the trip, saying he could have achieved the same from his Invercargill desk in one day.

"I cannot believe you have gone over there and you have no idea of price and you don't have a design."

But Cr Peter Kett said the trip was money well spent and it made good sense to deal directly with the manufacturer.

Cr Neil Boniface said he had been asking the council staff to do something about the Christmas lights and he agreed with the trip.

Cr Lindsay Abbott said he was ticked off people thought councillors had made the decision for staff to go to China when they knew nothing about the trip.

Mayor Tim Shadbolt said his view was staff should be allowed to make decisions. They had been asked to fix the lights problem and now they were doing their job they were attacked for not going through a certain process, he said.

The council also agreed to investigate purchasing 2000 LED lights from China for $10,000, to be placed in its housing units, with Johnston's report saying it would save $20,000 to $30,000 on the equivalent New Zealand priced alternative.

The council would also investigate purchasing tubular lights from China, for testing in the civic building, and if they lasted longer and reduced costs new lights would be put throughout the council.

Parks manager Robin Pagan was also on the China trip to discuss and inspect the proposed site for the potential establishment of an Invercargill Friendship Garden in the Santai Mountain Forest Park.

Invercargill was the first sister city to be invited to build a friendship garden in the park and it would be part of a major Chinese attraction, Pagan said.