High praise for council

A Queenstown Lakes District Council installation has received the ultimate praise from a national body,” QLDC community services general manager Paul Wilson said.

At the recent New Zealand and Australian Lighting Society Awards Mr Wilson and Modus Lighting received the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand Dark Sky Lighting Design Award of Excellence for the Wanaka playground installation. The project also received a ‘highly commended’ for the best luminary design from the Illumination Engineers Society.

“It’s extremely gratifying to have the work acknowledged. The council both understands and practises the concept of protecting and enhancing views of our night sky,” Mr Wilson said.

In keeping with the council’s Southern Light Strategy, lighting installation on the Wanaka Waterfront featured the council designed timber poles and new “full-cut off” lantern specifically designed by We-ef in conjunction with the council for use in its town centres.

“The lantern matches our earlier style of pendant lantern but has significantly improved energy efficiency, glare control and protects the night sky from unwanted light spill,” Mr Wilson said.

The win received the congratulations of the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand’s DarkSkies Group director Steve Butler.

“The council’s earlier work on the Southern Light Strategy is well noted around the country and its determination to implement it is appreciated,” Mr Butler said.

He also noted the public process the council had entered into to gauge community support.

The council had received strong support from its communities to protect the night sky.

“This has always been something which pleased me particularly as it establishes the importance of the night environment in its own right,” Mr Butler said.

Variations of the principle, according to setting, were being introduced across the district with the same town centre lighting recently installed on Queenstown’s Village Green.