Narrabri CBD street lights are finally in sight.
Tuesday’s meeting of Narrabri Shire Council voted to go ahead with a preliminary plan for the new lights, the culmination of a long journey with many twists and turns.
The final twist came when it was decided the lights will be installed along the middle of the three main street blocks.
The new design will see 45 light poles down the centre of the three blocks from Lloyd to Bowen streets.
Each pole will carry two lights cantilevered out over each side.
Earlier consideration footpath mounted lights was not adopted and light poles on the roadway were long since discarded after the previous experience.
The new centre lights, will have trees interspersed.
With the council go ahead, a final design will now be signed off by Essential Energy, which will be responsible for the street lights’ upkeep, a six week process, followed by a tender process of about six weeks and an installation period.
The project to replace the failed lights in Maitland street has long been a work in progress.
The lights are part of a CBD masterplan which was adopted in February 2013 and in December 2013 council resolved that new CBD street lights would be the priority in the plan.
For several years prior, the existing main street light poles had fallen victim to parking cars and malfunctions to the point where there is no effective lighting at all.
As the Director of Planning Mr Paul Bawden noted in his report to the council, ‘the current CBD lighting does not comply with Australian standards.’
The installation of the new lights down the centre of the street will be ultimately followed by resealing of Maitland street, which is not budgeted for as yet, and the tree planting.
Mr Bawden said he was acutely aware of the need for action on the street lights. Consultations between the lighting design consultant and council staff on June 4 resulted in three options presented to council.
Two carried complications in accommodating shop awnings, removal of existing trees to allow light through and loss of 49 parking spaces.
The recommended third option of centre lights and tree plantings
mirrors the Goondiwindi street lighting. The centre lighting configuration will not reduce the number of parking spaces, council was told, but there will be some reduction in mid block turn around capability.
There will be no problems with intrusive tree roots or watering of the trees. Mr Bawden said suitable species will be chosen and irrigated.
Earlier identified species will have to be re-thought.
Cr Robyn Faber observed that the Goondiwindi trees were palms, which didn’t block much light.
Mr Bawden said there would be a minor adjustment to the line marking behind parked cars, but not much, with no dramatic impact on cars moving out of parking spaces.
Cr John Tough was bemused that the final plan envisaged centre lights and nature strip.
“I thought the lights were going on the footpath. Where is the CBD plan? Is it all now changed?”
Council voted to adopt the CBD design, with Cr Lloyd Finlay absent and Cr Tough voting against.