But deputy mayor Glenn Taylor says it was to be expected as the poles are too short and vulnerable to being damaged.

About 20 short poles have just been placed alongside a path as part of a $250,000 upgrade of the park under Orange City Council's Future City CBD revamp.

Cr Taylor said more money would now need to be spent to install taller and more secure lights.

"When I saw this on the weekend I was just blown away, they are so vulnerable to vandalism," he said.

Cr Taylor said the council had spent "a lot of money" on the work but the solar poles were not up to the job.

"They just give a guide to the path, it's not going to help with lighting the [area]."

Cr Taylor said he also concerned the light covers, which he believed were plastic, were also open to vandalism.

"They're going to get smashed to pieces. I can't see how they could have guards around them. They're going to last a week."

He said he supported the upgrade of Matthews Park, which also includes a new playground, pathway, bridge, seats and picnic tables but the lights needed to be higher.

"I support enhancing our older parks," he said.

Mayor Cr Reg Kidd said he was also upset by the vandalism.

Last week he said the lights were being installed to provide people with a safer path to walk through the park.

"People who work in the CBD are making use of the all-day parking in Moulder Street, so they're walking along the path through the park everyday," he said.

"We want to make that safer after hours, so we'll be installing solar-powered, pole-mounted lights along the path."

Cr Kidd said the new playground at the park would have a "trains-theme" in keeping with the park's mini-trains railway.

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