This has probably be covered already but thought I'd share a response from my new local council regarding 3 bright street lights that overlook our new place.
"Whilst the installation of street lighting shades has historically been carried out by Ergon at the request of affected residents, changes to public liability laws and the requirement to meet the mandatory Australian Standards for street lightning has resulted in the discontinuation of this service. The shading of streetlights reduces their effectiveness for their design purpose of lighting the roadway for motorists and pedestrians, and can reduce the level of lighting below the design standards. Unfortunately, due to the additional liabilities that result, Council no longer makes requests to Ergon to fit shades to street lighting."
Bit disappointed but didn't expect a good result.
My old place in Newcastle only had one streetlight within line of sight which was easily avoidable. But the general city glow was terrible. Here, much less city glow but 3 bloody lights that I can't escape
I can live with the general light pollution from these but the direct line of site messes with night vision.
I have contacted my council about a month ago who passed the request on to the lamp pole owner (AGL). Nothing has been done yet and I haven't heard from anyone. I have an extension ladder and black gaffer tape. That's my week end project.
Seems a strange position for them to take - it sounds as if Ergon and Energex have declared themselves to be the sole arbiter of what constitutes acceptable light levels and "spill". Councils should not absolve themselves of their responsibility in this regard.
I suggest you take it up with your Councillor - plenty of other city and regional Councils in Queensland still allow applications for shades to be fitted:
Since they are keen to cite "the requirement to meet the mandatory Australian Standards", you can point out that Clause 3.3.1 of AS 1158.1.2 "Lighting for roads and public spaces - Part 1.2: Vehicular traffic (Category V) lighting—Guide to design, installation, operation and maintenance" says:
"In sensitive situations, various measures may alleviate spill light problems, e.g. placement of lighting points, use of shields in the house-side of the luminaire visor or the use of cut-off luminaires."
The problem now is that you have tipped them off to you. Most of the new LED lamps are shaded to point the light at the road and have some angle adjustment to allow aiming the light so to speak. The big round light buckets are obsolete but councils will not pay to replace them till they burn out. I had an old style lamp burn out near my place and when the Aus Grid truck eventually showed up i asked them to shade it, and instead they replaced the old one with a new shaded aimed light and it is wonderful. I suppose there is not much you can do about three of them, but generally the local poles and wires guys are ok and probably have the fitting you want in the truck. Can't hurt to ask them.
As far as trying to McGyver them that is a good way to get hurt or arrested, as some do gooder will dob you in. I recall an idea that i saw of a graffitti artist using a drone with a remote spray paint fitting to spray paint the side of buildings, sounded like a good way to shade street lights without risking your life.
As far as trying to McGyver them that is a good way to get hurt or arrested, as some do gooder will dob you in. I recall an idea that i saw of a graffitti artist using a drone with a remote spray paint fitting to spray paint the side of buildings, sounded like a good way to shade street lights without risking your life.
Mine has a large protruding plastic bulb. So obscuring the side that faces me will to the trick. I might do that at night then. It's too wet now though. Rained all day in Sydney.
Yeah that's a strange one Iain. You are asking for the shade to prevent light from escaping upwards. Not to affect the light going to the ground. I have one across the road from the neighbors house behind me, but as my block is raised their house doesn't block any of it so i'd like the same thing there. I might have to try with my council too.
I dont let the light across the road annoy me.
Its there and probably will not go anywhere...so I resign myself to trying to do some form of astronomy under less than better conditions...so relax and do ones best.
I believe, as oppossed to providing some sort of evidence, that my baffled huge dew tube helps but I dont have one for the new scope yet ..I will make one in time so I hope it really helps and I just not imagining things...but wont set up the six inch to do tests...which I should have done.
It's right in front of my bedroom window, same level. That's my excuse.
In all seriousness a bit of shading will go a long way and it won't affect anybody's safety. I live in a cul de sac.
Design an attactement to a drone that will carry and put in place a shield around the light....ask a workman you find on the same pole as the light to instal a remote light switch that you can opperate from home...
Using Australian Standards as an excuse not to fit shades is BS. The available shades are designed to reduce spill over into residential properties and the shades don't affect the street or footpath. Unfortunately we're subject to the whims of the council environmental officer in any given shire and some of them forget that they're there to serve us, their customer and employer.
I got the pictured shade fitted to my local light recently and there's no noticeable impact at the footpath. Direct illumination of my front yard is approximately halved but there's still plenty of light to see where we're going (more than needed). The LED's are brighter than the lamps they replaced.
From our backyard only one of the 18 LED globes is directly visible and there's a noticeable improvement at the telescope, so much so that I may have made a mistake selling my C11 - might be another light bucket in my future.
My council guy was very helpful and the shade was fitted at no extra cost (already pay rates) even though I offered to pay.
I'm on the opposite side of the street so the shield on the pointy end suits me. I helped our council guy find these shields and suggested they get this model (there are a few types) as it shields either side of the street. The council ordered several of them to cater for other residents who might complain about lighting in future.
I'm on the opposite side of the street so the shield on the pointy end suits me. I helped our council guy find these shields and suggested they get this model (there are a few types) as it shields either side of the street. The council ordered several of them to cater for other residents who might complain about lighting in future.
It would have been so easy if they installed these shields as standard when they changed all the bulbs.
I'm bookmarking this thread, to hear how you went, and what the Police said when they showed up!
I need a cherrypicker and a can of black spray paint, to do the sides of the light near to here.
A friend of mine requested that his council install a plaque commemorating a passed family member with local historic importance. He offered to pay but the position was in a public park. The council refused.
A bit later he rocked up with a couple of friends in a white van with some cones and wearing high-vis vests. Spent 2 days installing it and no one batted an eyelid! (included 16 mandatory coffee breaks for effect)
I have access to a cherrypicker...
In all seriousness though the comments are quite encouraging. I was just going to let it go but maybe it'w worth pushing back a bit.
It's too wet now though. Rained all day in Sydney.
