The DCC has announced a new draft energy plan that will showcase Dunedin’s night sky as a tourist attraction.
The initiative aims to replace all of Dunedin’s outdoor lighting with LED technology in order to reduce light pollution, giving a clearer view of the stars and the night sky.
Replacing the bulbs comes as part of the council’s asset renewal, and all bulbs will be replaced in one go.
The DCC said it hopes the “Night Sky City” focus will be a drawcard for tourists and photographers.
DCC Corporate Policy Manager Maria Ioannou said the DCC’s plan is unique: “There is no other city in New Zealand using LED technology to light cities.”
Ioannou said the idea would be to celebrate the night sky in a suburban setting, creating the opportunity to do “fun things” at night such as festivals and events.
Ionaaou said that Dunedin already enjoys some beautiful night skies, but the plan aims to combat some of the challenges in maintaining the current quality of night skies as the city develops.
The council is yet to decide which type of LED light bulbs would be the most suitable.
The energy plan, which comes under Dunedin’s Economic Development Strategy, aims to support and foster Dunedin businesses by looking at future energy solutions. Ioannou said the plan also focuses on tackling poor housing, which will benefit the economy by increasing demand to local suppliers for materials such as insulation.
The plan also looks at options around electric vehicles, suggesting the council could invest in charging services and add hybrid cars to their own fleets.