Byron council defends intense new lighting at Bangalow Sports Field, advises situation will improve soon

Long-awaited new field lighting has stirred up residents of Bangalow, Byron Shire – some jesting the lighting could even be seen from space and bats “banded together and bought a coffee machine”.

The new lighting has proved somewhat contentious, but will improve safety and lead to more opportunities at night. Picture: Asren Pugh

New lighting at a sports field has stirred up residents of Bangalow in the Byron Shire – some jesting the lighting could even be seen from space.

But Byron Shire Council has defended the $795,000 new fixtures, described as much-needed to ensure player safety.

Bangalow Sports Fields has been closed since the start of June, but testing has been underway on the lighting upgrade funded by the state government.

The testing has prompted residents to take to local social media groups to slam the new lighting, or to simply note just how searingly bright the lights seem.

The lights streaming into a resistent’s house during the testing period. Picture: Facebook

One man said on Facebook the lighting was “bloody horrific”. Another suggested under a photo of the field that “the spaceship has landed”.

“Three quarters of the Bangalow lights are on (I assume for testing). Anyone know who has the on or off control of these?” he wrote.

“Watch out for ET,” a man chimed in.

Another resident posted a photo of the lights streaming into his yard and quipped: “Beautiful sunset over the soccer fields tonight.”

One woman pondered aloud: “I wonder how the resident bats feel about that?”

The man replied: “They’ve banded together and bought a coffee machine.”

Some were quite serious in their criticism and one woman said the situation was “very scary for the wildlife”.

In response, the council said the lights would be turned off nightly by timer at 9.30pm and the intensity would be reduced.

A spokesperson said the energy-efficient LEDs were ultimately designed to reduce ‘light spill’, despite being 5-7 metres taller than the previous arrangement.

The old lights on the Bangalow Sports Field. Picture: Byron Shire Council

“Not only will we save money on electricity, to the tune of around $35,000 a year, but the maintenance and upkeep of the new light poles will be much less,” they said.

“This means less of an impact on neighbouring properties and it will improve safety for people using the fields and the nearby shared path.

“Shrouds will also be added to the lights to reduce light spill where necessary.”

Speaking specifically about wildlife concerns, the spokesperson said an external consultant reviewed environmental factors before testing.

Byron councillor Asren Pugh also backed the new lighting when contacted. It’s instalment was a priority for him when he joined the council.

Byron Shire Councillor Asren Pugh. Picture: File

“Our local sports teams had to put up with degraded, expensive and unreliable lighting for years. This led to games being cancelled or moved and it was simply unsafe,” he said.

“These new lights are more efficient, cheaper, safer and more reliable.”

The council spokesperson said better lighting for evening activities was identified as a key priority in community feedback on the Bangalow Sports Fields Masterplan.

“These lights are designed for amateur competition only and are not like stadium lights, and are within allowable lighting parameters,” they said.

The council hopes to open the field later in the week, but warned of potential short closures in coming months to complete work.