2022-04-04
After a long campaign, ACT Greens Member for Yerrabi, Andrew Braddock has welcomed the installation of solar path lighting at Yerrabi Pond as part of a pilot program.
“I’m so pleased that the ACT Government is installing solar powered path lights at Yerrabi Pond”, said Mr Braddock, ACT Greens spokesperson for Better Neighbourhoods. “Path lighting is a crucial step towards ensuring our community feels confident and safe to enjoy Yerrabi Pond at all hours of the day and night.
“The community has been calling for path lighting for some time, and I was proud to take this as a priority to the ACT election in 2020.
“Not only are solar lights a more sustainable option, they are cheaper than traditional street lights and do not have the associated work of digging trenches and laying conduits to connect the lights to the electricity network.
“My vision is for the entire loop path of Yerrabi Pond to be lit, so that locals can confidently enjoy the pond at all hours.
“I want to congratulate the Friends of Yerrabi Pond for all their hard work and advocacy on this issue.”
Darron Marks, Director of Public Relations and Media, Friends Of Yerrabi Pond said:
“The Friends Of Yerrabi Pond are very pleased with the solar lighting trial currently underway. The Friends of Yerrabi Pond and the wider community have consistently highlighted the lack of safety lighting in what is a heavily used recreational area.
We hope the outcome of the lighting study will ensure those who use the pond can continue to do so later in the evening and feel a greater sense of night time safety and security.
“We know that further safety lighting will be very much appreciated by the local community. And we look forward to the outcome of the current scoping studies the ACT Government has underway.”
Background
- This solar lighting pilot will be constructed along a 180-metre stretch of the northern end of Yerrabi Pond, starting with the Bizant Street playground and heading west.
- There will be six solar lights installed in the pilot, and the solar lights will illuminate to 100 per cent for around five hours in the evening and then revert to a dimmed mode of 20 per cent until dawn.
- While in that dimmed mode, inbuilt passive infrared sensors in the lights will activate upon movement detection and the lights will return to 100 percent illumination.
