All the pretty lights..

[PeterM]

Eleven metre high lights set to welcome visitors to the Gold Coast’s north and south | Gold Coast Bulletin
http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/gold-coast/eleven-metre-high-lights-set-to-welcome-visitors-to-the-gold-coasts-north-and-south/news-story/35efa9bb5a7a3029ca5f919613595a7c

[xelasnave]

One wonders how these projects get up when you would think there are better ways to spend the money.
Alex

[leon]

And some people cant afford to turn on their lights, :sadeyes: think where that two million could have been better spent.

Leon

[skysurfer]

Another waste of energy and night sky, besides the ugly high rise buildings on the beach spoiling the real beauty of Queensland (and Australia in general).
It are the big (American) companies who make money from this.
Only $$$$ counts for them.

[PeterM]

Ive driven by the construction of this waste of money wondering how many accidents it will cause as people stretch to read it. Las Vegassing the Gold Coast..well as I live there now I supppse just get used to it.

[el_draco]

It was a dive 35 years ago when I saw it...I see little has changed :rolleyes:

[brian nordstrom]

:mad2: Frikkin waste of money ! , just so a few councillor's can stroke their ego's .
Waste of everything ! :help: . and it's UGLY .

Brian.

[PeterM]

Hmmm gotta loudly disagree there ROM. I lived Gold Coast in 1983 and just bought a unit in Labrador and the place has undergone significant change, improvement and beautification. Posters please stay on topic its about the waste of money on the lights and increased LP not BS.

[xelasnave]

I am always suspicious of these "deals".
I mean how does it get off the ground.
Does the council think lets do this or that or does an enterprising salesman call and present the idea to someone who for no other reason than being impressed says great lets do that.

A few lunches and goodness knows what else the idea gets presented and somehow the council goes along...placing it over no doubt other calls for expenditure on libraries park upgrades and whatever other things places demands on the council funds.

I would love to follow all the money in this case and determine exactly where each dollar ended up.
Alex

[xelasnave]

It would be interesting to look at all the sales that salesman made and his selling technique...must be great to divert money from the many needy projects...
Alex

[GrahamL]

Another sad addition to a once pretty nice place to visit i think the lights fit in well with the mess that is the commercial /residential mix that seems to of just moved forward a lot or stayed in the 70s with no thought reason or planning for many years particularly the northern end

[PeterM]

The post was to bring to "light" the construction and the waste of big money in my opinion when as has been noted many do it tough just to keep the lights on. How some here turn it into rubbishing where I live and love to now live is beyond me and ppoor form.

[xelasnave]

Well Peter let me say I like it up there.
When I was in Hospital, Grifith University Hospital I think, I thought the place was terrific.

I was surprised just how nice it all was and most impressed.

I would be more that happy to live in one of those houses in those water frontage subdivisions.

Alex

[bigjoe]

Was in Las Vegas recently to see my Brother who lives high up in a penthouse.

The light pollution there is beyond atrocious ..and your in the desert..hardly one or 2 bright stars can be seen most nights...hope this madness doesn't start here..lights and lights for MILES!..had to go to Lake Meade to observe!

bigjoe.

[Suzy]

I love it!
I appear to be the only one :scared3:

[PeterM]

Good one Suzy, you may not be alone.
It may yet grow on me when I see it all lit up and its not over the top LP. I just can't come to terms with $2 million in this day when so many people are doing it tough.

[gary]

Hi Peter,



I note this article dates back to June 21st last year.

Nevertheless, it is brave for the New York-based architectural and design
firm to put their names to it.

The negatives of global light pollution have been well documented and
well reported for many years now.

Any architect worth his or her salt would be well aware of it.

So one can conclude that LOT-EK are either totally out of touch with
current best-design practice norms or just total hacks.

Best Regards

Gary Kopff
Mount Kuring-Gai NSW 2080

[xelasnave]

I still believe so many good ideas come from sales meetings.

The gst was probably the best way to get more computers sold than it was a great way to gather tax.

I was looking at the Westpac rescue helicopter today and thought what a great idea to sell a helicopter.

The lights perhaps capitalised on a desire to show local pride but the idea I bet started in a sales meeting in New York when the team started brain storming how to sell more lights...as I said I bet similar has been sold to many councils around the world...and why target councils..well heck it is not as though its their money and perhaps a few free lunches greased the wheels.

You cant not deny there would be many more worthy ways to invest council funds...
Alex

[PeterM]

Hi Gary,
The poles are up and lights probably anyday now.
Unfortunately even with all this knowledge about LP the roads are being lit all over the place by LEDs. "Save $' and brighter seem to be the in thing - a nice warm and fuzzy we are green and planetwise I suppose.

[skysurfer]

LEDs are in itself not bad at all. But councils and companies think : they consume less energy, so for the same amount of energy we get more light, so that is the actual choice made. And we have finally Daylight, so preferably the even more scattering 5000K LEDs instead of the orange or yellow HPS sodium lamps. Wow !
Exactly, IMO that is Abuse of LEDs to get MORE LP. Only the luminaries are better designed: the HPS have a downward protruding light bulb which chines more upward than the flat underside of the LED luminaries.
And, yet, the more lumens and higher color temperature yields more LP and does not save the councils any money, only the salesmen of the LED lamps, like this NYC based LOT-EK company.
Even in our country, well working low pressure sodium (with monochromatic yellow light) are being replaced by 5000K LEDs which do not have a better efficacy at all. There are even AlInGaP LEDs yielding almost the same narrowbanded yellow, so why are these not used for streetlights ?
But, OTOH I also see 3000K LEDs installed on streetlamps, which is much better.
The best option is 'smart lighting' which means, sensor driven or at least dimming them after midnight which is impossible with sodium or metal halide lamps. And that is not being used at all.

[jwoody]

I drive past the thing everyday.
It is in the median strip between the north and south bound lanes.
Will people even recognise what it spells out as you drive by at 110kph?
Or do you have to go into the paddocks on either side to make it out?

A waste of money.

Jeremy

[PeterM]

Yup there is potential for some nasty car accidents as people rubberneck and drive by. Last friday, daytime and so obvious people having a wt is this thing?
Not a waste of money ...a waste of big money.