Aussie new 'vomit' colored five dollar bill faces criticism

In the handout image provided by the Reserve Bank of Australia, the Queen side of the new $5 banknote is on display. The Reserve Bank of Australia today released images of the new AU$5 banknote that will be issued into circulation from September 1, 2016.[Photo/VCG]

CANBERRA -- The design for a refreshed Australian five dollar bill has been unveiled on Tuesday but it has already drawn criticism from the public which was quick to call it "hideous".

The note, which is predominately pink with splashes of purple accompanying wattle flowers, is set to be released across the nation on Sept. 1 this year, and Reserve Bank of Australia governor Glenn Stevens said it pays homage to Australia's native flora and fauna.

"Each banknote in the new series will depict a different species of Australian wattle and a native bird within a number of the elements. On the five dollar banknote, these are the Prickly Moses wattle and the Eastern Spinebill," Stevens said in a statement on Tuesday.

"The designs are the culmination of a process of extensive consultation with subject-matter experts and the cash-handling industry, as well as qualitative research involving focus groups."

"Issuance of the new $5 banknote will commence on 1 September, although it will take some time for the new banknotes to be widely circulated."

But the design has faced a backlash on social media sites, with some Australians labeling it as "hideous", while others have said it looks "like vomit" and the wattle flowers resemble "a toilet brush".

"The vision-impaired are the only people who are going to like this note," one Twitter user noted.

Others have lamented the reappearance on Queen Elizabeth II on the note, while one Twitter user jokingly floated the idea of using the infamous photo of former Prime Minister Tony Abbott eating a whole onion on the bill.

The current series of banknotes in circulation will continue to be accepted even after the new banknotes are issued.

Australia's other denominations, the 10, 20, 50 and 100 dollar notes are all expected to be revamped in coming months.