Let there be light.
A modern lighting system will be in place for bowlers using the Dunedin Lawn Bowls Stadium this winter.
More than 500 fluorescent tubes, which had been used to light the stadium for 17 years, had been replaced with 160 modern LED lights, Westpac Bowls Stadium secretary Bruce Hendry said.
''The fluorescent tubes have all been replaced every four years but we still needed to replace about 60 each year and often there were tubes out or flickering.''
A lot of thought has been put into the decision to replace the old lighting system with the modern LED lights that cost $37,000.
John Latimer was in charge of installing the new lighting system.
''John took a lot of testing of samples and with some fine tuning of the initial design, we now have a better, softer, clearer light using less electricity,'' Hendry said.
''The tubes will last at least 15 years and they do not flicker.''
The cost of the new lights has been covered with the help of various trusts.
It has been a good financial year for the stadium, which has paid off its Dunedin City Council loan.
''Some individual debenture holders have gifted their loans and this has reduced the debt by another $150,000,'' Hendry said.
''We have reduced our debt by more than $1 million over the last 10 years. But we still have a debt of $350,000 to our corporate debenture holders.''
The big event at the stadium this winter will be the Bowls New Zealand finals of the national mixed pairs and the national club championship singles, pairs, triples and fours from June 18-28.
There will also be the normal PBA events held at the stadium.
The winter programme starts next Monday.
''There will be three seven-week sessions instead of the four six-week sessions we have had in the past,'' Hendry said.
The president for the past 10 years, Paddy O'Neill, has decided to step back and is not seeking re-election.
A key fundraising activity is the annual 12-hour bowlathon on Sunday, May 25.
