By Jessica Anstice
More than 1200 energy-efficient LED streetlights will be installed across the Baw Baw Shire over the current financial year.
The council secured funding for the $575,027 project through the Federal Government’s $500 million Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program, which supports communities to bounce back from the Covid-19 pandemic.
New streetlights will be the second stage of upgrades in the shire and will replace existing high-pressure sodium vapour, compact fluorescent, Twin T5 and high wattage mercury vapour lighting on council owned streets and roads.
Once complete, the project is expected to save about 365 tonnes of greenhouse gases emissions each year.
“The new LED lights will perform better, last longer and will be more than twice as efficient as the existing lights,” Baw Baw Shire mayor Danny Goss said.
“The funding from the Federal Government will allow council and AusNet Services to complete the project and ultimately deliver ongoing savings for the community.”
The first stage of the project, which involved replacing 2685 mercury vapour streetlights across the municipality to the most energy efficient LED lighting, was completed by the council in 2016.
Already, the upgrade has resulted in annual savings of $180,000.
The next stage of the project is expected to result in a further annual saving of $125,000 and reduce energy usage by up to 57 percent.
The changeover works will be undertaken by approved AusNet Services contractors using a single elevated work platform with two to three crew members.
It takes less than five minutes to replace a streetlight so disruptions are minimal, and cars can remain parked on the street.
The new lights will be similar in brightness to the old lights, but the light will spread more evenly along the footpath.
Visibility will be improved, and colours will look more natural with less glare.
