Tasmania’s streetlight replacement program is bringing environmental benefits and energy savings as mercury vapour lamps are swapped out with modern light emitting diode (LED) models.
More than half of Tasmania’s streetlamps have now been replaced with the remainder expected to be completed at the end of their service life over the next two years.
Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Michael Ferguson, inspected the light replacement program underway on the Brooker Highway at North Hobart with representatives of Traffic Technologies today.
“LED lights provide major savings on energy consumption and maintenance, using 82 per cent less power,” he said.
“They also have a much longer lifecycle with a 10-year cycle compared to four years for the older mercury vapour globes.
“Crucially, the LED globes reduce the impact on our environment with an estimated 80 per cent reduction in emissions. The energy saved from this program allows more of our renewable energy to be utilised in our network.”
On the state-managed road network, which includes the State’s busiest highways, more than 1,000 lights have been replaced so far.
“I congratulate our teams in TasNetworks and the Department of State Growth on the quiet, but important, work they have been doing to replace old technology streetlamps with superior LEDs,” he said.
“This program of work is also bringing employment benefits with Traffic Technologies, employing 12 Tasmanians on the program with the potential to create more jobs.”
