Anti-lake lighting protests continue

MORE than two dozen people gathered outside the Town Hall at Queen Victoria Square last week to protest the Lake Wendouree lighting project.

The rally was organised by members of the Get Our Lake Wendouree Lighting Right group.

Convener Scott Gallop said the event was an opportunity to discuss the results of a recent survey they led, gauging community feedback on the lighting.

“We’re here to let council know again that we need to compromise and come to a better, environmentally-friendly style of lighting,” he said.

The more-than $3 million project will see 225 light poles at 5.5 metres high installed around the lake’s Steve Moneghetti track, and seven light poles along Morrison Street, linking to Victoria Park.

With works set to begin in mid-October, Mr Gallop offered what he said is a more environmentally-sound alternative with in-ground cross-path lighting.

“It’s just a small cap light that sits on the ground and sprays out a ray of light. Other councils are using them,” he said.

“The holes don’t have to be two metres deep like the post holes, and it’s low voltage, so it doesn’t have to be one-metre-deep tunnelling and trenching. There’s a lot of [advantages] to using it.”

Nearly 1700 people responded to the month-long survey, of which 481 were in support of the lighting while almost 600 were opposed.

More than 530 people said they approved environmentally-conscious lighting and a remaining 72 responders gave alternative feedback.

The City of Ballarat conducted a survey in 2017 to gauge community interest in the lighting, through which the project was identified as a top priority in the Lake Wendouree masterplan.

Peter Chapman, who attended the gathering and responded against the lighting in the survey, said the municipality’s survey was unclear on what the approach to the project would look like.

“The issue was about lighting around the lake but it wasn’t about what type of lighting,” he said.

“The most recent survey reflects the survey done five years ago. It’s now five years down the track. We’re more conclusive. We’ve got more information as to the type of lighting.

“To me it seems illogical that you could put towering poles 25 metres apart around such a place of environmental beauty.”