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Let There Be Light - an ACT Government initiative
In June 2007, the Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, John Hargreaves, announced that the ACT Government would replace selected Canberra street lights with energy efficient alternatives. According to Mr Hargreaves, the new lights are expected to save 155 watts per hour, resulting in a greenhouse gas reduction of 1136 tonnes per annum.
Roads ACT let a tender for the replacement of the selected luminaires, which was won by ActewAGL. The current tender will see the replacement of 1763 bulbs from 400 watt Mercury Vapour (white light) to 250 watt High Pressure Sodium (yellow light) and 250 watt Metal Hallide (white light).
The replacements will occur on arterial and suburban roads around the ACT, mostly in Tuggeranong and Belconnen areas. For more information, please see the media release.
Proposed changes to design standards and standard specification for street lights
A Draft Design Standards for Street Lights and a Draft Standard Specification for Street Lights were released on 1 January 2007. Note that the existing documents – DS12 - Public Lighting and Standard Specification - 14 Street Lighting – are still in force.
Induction Lighting, Anzac Parade, Canberra, 2001
150 watt plasma induction lamp and pole replacements were installed along Canberra’s Anzac Parade in 2001, replacing existing 250 watt mercury vapour (MV) lamps. For more information, see Induction.
There are currently 67,000 streetlights in the ACT, all of which are owned and operated by Roads ACT, a unit in the Department of Territory and Municipal Services (TAMS). Thus both major and minor road lighting is managed by Roads ACT.
This situation is unique in Australia. In all other states and territories the vast majority of streetlighting assets are owned and operated by the distribution network service providers (DNSPs).
The regulatory and market structure of public lighting in the ACT is therefore much simpler than in other states and territories. Roads ACT makes its own decisions about its own assets in a fully contestable environment.
Note that, at present, Roads ACT has contracted out the operation and maintenance of its streetlighting assets to its DNSP, ActewAGL.
Distribution Business
| ActewAGL is Road ACT's distribution network service provider, maintaining its streelight assets and supplying electricity to the network on its behalf. | Regulator | As part of the National Energy Market Reform, from 1 July 2007, the Australian Energy Market Commission and the Australian Energy Regulator are responsible for the regulation of electricity distribution in the ACT. Previously, this was regulated by the Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission (ICRC). In the ACT, electricity distribution and supply is regulated under the Utilities Act 2000.
The ICRC is still responsible for licensing of distributors and retailers and provides a full list of licensed electricity retailers in the ACT. For a comparison of green electricity products available in ACT see the Green Electricity Watch's 2006 Report. | Relevant Territory Department
| The Department of Territory and Municipal Services (TAMS). Contact: Chris Deschamps, Streetlight Co-Ordinator, TAMS, via email or phone (02) 62076222 or 0414 463 550 (mob).
For public lighting, two of the most important units in TAMS are Roads ACT, responsible for both major and minor road lighting, and the Energy Policy Unit, responsible for energy policy and regulation of utilities. |
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