The Star: December 21, 2017

The Star Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Thursday December 21 2017 5
Call for dark sky reserves
• By Bridget Rutherford
CALLS TO regulate
light pollution in parts of
Christchurch and Banks
Peninsula to establish dark
sky reserves have been
reignited.
The Spreydon-Cashmere
Community has asked city
council staff to provide advice
on whether there are
any lighting level controls
in the city.
Board chairwoman
Karolin Potter raised the
idea.
She said the city council
could designate particular
areas, such as around Summit
Rd, part of the residential
red zone, Halswell
Quarry Park, and areas
and beaches in Banks Peninsula,
as dark sky reserves
where no lights could be
installed.
Those areas had little
light pollution at night
already, she said.
They would be similar
to the Aoraki Mackenzie
International Dark Sky Reserve
near Tekapo, where
artificial light pollution
was strictly controlled.
It comes as the city
council is in the process of
TIMELY: The Spreydon-Cashmere Community
Board says the city council is currently upgrading its
street lights to LED technology, so it is the right time
to discuss dark sky reserves.
converting its street lights
to LED technology.
Ms Potter said not
every street and laneway
needed to be lit up, as light
bounced off from other
streets. People walking at
night would be encouraged
to take safer routes that did
have lighting, she said.
The reserves would
benefit the flora and fauna,
nocturnal species and stargazers,
she said.
“The city has no designated
dark sky places and
if we don’t do that soon,
then they will all go.”
It comes after Emeritus
Professor of Astronomy
PHOTO: MARTIN HUNTER
John Hearnshaw called for
the residential red zone to
be turned into a dark sky
reserve last year.
Ms Potter said she
expected to get the staff advice
back in the New Year.
She said once they knew
what rules were in place,
she could progress the idea.
City councillor Tim
Scandrett said now was the
time to discuss the issue
because of the replacement
of the street lights to LED
technology.
“If we look at Tekapo,
their lights on the streets
focus on an area that needs
the light,” he said.
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