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There is still time to change its lightbulb choice, the Dunedin City Council has been told. Photo: Stephen Jaquiery
There is still time to change its lightbulb choice, the Dunedin City Council has been told. Photo: Stephen Jaquiery
It is not too late for the Dunedin City Council to revisit its decision on new LED street lights for the city, a campaigner says.

The call came from Kyra Xavia, of the Lightwise Guild, at yesterday's DCC public forum, as she urged councillors to reconsider plans for white light 3000K LED lights across much of the city.

Her group was still pushing for a wider rollout of warmer, amber 2200K lights, as the whiter lights planned for Dunedin were ''unsafe'' for humans and wildlife alike.

To illustrate her point, she brought in a 2200K amber LED light manufactured overseas, and switched it on for councillors and insisted: ''We can do better.''

The council earlier this year confirmed its plans to replace the city's ageing network of high-pressure sodium lights with new 3000K LED lights, beginning with outer areas including the Taieri, Saddle Hill and Strath Taieri.

The council will move on to inner-city suburbs next year, and aims to complete the $15 million project in mid- 2021.

The NZ Transport Agency is funding 85% of the cost of the upgrade.

Comments

Would be appreciated if the DCC did choose the less harsh 2200k lights, as our home is on a hill, the light is directly over us. The position of the street light means our front and rear yard is illuminated. It will be as if we're living under a spot light at night. Let alone any chance of seeing the stars as we do now. Sadly, I'm sure there will be many others in this same sort of position. Too bad the spot lights around business's in the commercial zone are becoming more common, they have a large impact on the night sky also. Will restrictions be placed on those?

I wouldn't bother trying to appeal to the dcc, they have an agenda and their arrogance means they wouldn't listen to you anyways.

This makes me laugh I recall reading that people disagreed with the DCC's choice and kindly advised them to rethink it, but no they knew best, just standard for the experts at the DCC, check the bank accounts for back handers.

 

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