Work will get under way next week on new “turtle friendly” lighting for the pedestrian pathway along the Bargara foreshore.
The lighting is part of the Reducing Urban Glow in Bundaberg project and has been designed to be safe for pedestrians, as well as having “turtle friendly” features:
- Low colour temperature lighting (yellow/amber in appearance) to reduce the amount of light in the blue spectrum. Turtles are particularly sensitive to the blue end of the light spectrum.
- Recessed light fittings with louvres to control the direction of light and minimise seaward light spill.
- Smart technology that allows for dimming of lights down to 20% when lighting is not required, and a gradual ramping of lights to 100% when pedestrians are detected.
This project complements other initiatives to reduce the urban glow in Bargara including a streetlight replacement program and smart street lighting along the Esplanade and Bauer Street.
The new pathway “turtle friendly” lighting will be installed along the Bargara pedestrian pathway, bounded by Schuhkraft Drive at the north (just south of Nielson Park) and the intersection of the Esplanade and Burkitt Street at the south.
‘Turtle friendly’ lighting construction plan
From around Monday, 2 March there will be some disruption along the pathways while work is carried out on the “turtle friendly” lighting.
From Clarke St northward to Schuhkraft Drive new electrical works will be installed, which will require excavation and trenching for new electrical conduit.
Excavation work is to be carried out between 7am and 5pm (Monday to Friday), and during this time noise levels may be elevated.
From Clark St southward to Burkitt St, existing poles and electrical wiring will be used, and only new lighting will be installed.
The smart technology hardware components will be installed across the entire installation.
During the construction period, sections of the pathway will not be lit at night and appropriate care should be taken in these areas.
Pedestrian traffic management will be put in place to ensure public safety at all times.
In addition, the contractor will establish a temporary compound in the car park at Schuhkraft Drive which may reduce car parking available in that area.
It is anticipated that construction activities will commence around 2nd March and will be completed by the end of June.
Project stakeholders
This project is funded in part by the Australian Government under Round 2 of the Smart Cities and Suburbs Program.
In addition, Bundaberg Regional Council and a number of project partners have contributed both cash and in kind contributions. Project partners include:
- Queensland Department of Environment and Science
- Ergon Energy
- Burnett Mary Regional Group
- CQUniversity
- Greenfleet (acting on behalf of The Prince’s Trust Australia)
- Bundaberg Tourism
- Sea Turtle Alliance
For more information about this “turtle friendly” lighting project or the broader Reducing Urban Glow in Bundaberg initiative, visit the website.
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