LED street lighting upgrade

City of Parramatta Council is undertaking the largest smart and LED energy efficiency streetlighting upgrade project ever seen within NSW.

Partnering with Endeavour Energy, the electricity network powering Greater Western Sydney, the $5.55M project will see more than 4,500 lights upgraded to high-performance and energy-efficient smart LED streetlights.

As of September 2023, 3,300 lights have been installed on regional and local main roads, with a further 1,200 to be upgraded on state main roads by December 2023. New streetlights are equipped with smart technology that will allow Council to lower lighting levels where and when it is deemed appropriate. Council is currently undertaking a detailed lighting design to establish appropriate dimming levels for each light.

While final lighting levels will meet Australian Standards, it is expected Council will be able to reduce the light output between 8% and 50+%. The dimming process will be finalised in February 2024, to help reduce light pollution and provide additional energy savings.

Energy and cost savings

The new LED lights are between 45% - 60% more efficient and will provide up to 60% energy savings. The amount of energy we’re saving (approx. 5,157MWh per year) is enough to power Riverside Theatres for six years.

Upgrading around 31% of the total street lighting network, this project will see lighting on major roads improved to deliver enhanced night-time visibility for drivers and pedestrians, better rendering of colour, and reduced glare.

The switch to LED will also save Council millions on street lighting operating and maintenance costs. The first phase of the program was completed in June 2022, with the second phase commencing September 2023 with expected completion in December 2023.

Energy consumption is estimated to reduce by 75% for local and regional main roads, and 73% for state main roads, per year. This will help Council achieve its emission reduction and carbon neutral targets of reducing carbon emissions by 60% by 2038 (based on 2015 levels).

In addition to delivering increased performance with energy and emission savings, the project will also implement best practice circular economy principles to divert the old streetlights and the packaging for new lights from landfill.

Our streetlight network

On completion of the project, 84% of Council’s street lighting network will be energy efficient. 53% (8,122) residential streetlights were upgraded between 2015 – 2021.

Which roads and streets will be upgraded?

Lighting upgrades will take place on major roads throughout the Endeavour Energy network area including the suburbs Camellia, Carlingford, Clyde, Constitution Hill, Dundas, Dundas Valley, Epping, Ermington, Granville, Melrose Park, North Parramatta, Northmead, Oatlands, Old Toongabbie, Parramatta.

Key roads include Betty Cuthbert Ave, Church St, Great Western Hwy, James Ruse Dr, Kissing Point Rd, Marsden Rd, Old Windsor Rd, Park Parade, Parramatta Rd, Pennant Hills Rd, Silverwater Rd, Station St, Stewart St, and Victoria Rd.

Traffic accident, crime data, train stations, bus stops, night time economy and wildlife corridors have been considered in the lighting design stage of this project.

The smart technology will allow quicker response times to restoring lights. The new LED lights can also be programmed to tailor different light levels at different times of the night to respond to traffic, and pedestrian usage.

Work Schedule

Work will be undertaken by Endeavour Energy beginning in September 2023 and completed by December 2023.

Work will be planned to take place at times when vehicle and pedestrian traffic is low. 

More Information

This partnership project with Endeavour Energy is a Covid-19 stimulus project that will increase local infrastructure jobs and is funded through the federal government’s Local Roads for Community Infrastructure (LRCI) program.

For more information, please see our Frequently Asked Questions page, or Download our Frequently Asked Questions (PDF, 305 KB)

To contact the LED Streetlights / Roads Infrastructure team, please call the  1300 617 058 or email council@cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au

Between 2014 and 2021, Council upgraded 8,114 residential streetlights (53% of the total street lighting network) with energy efficient LEDs. This project provided projected savings of more than $7 million and 41,000 tonnes of CO₂ over the lights’ forecast 20-year life span.

The new LED residential streetlights are powered by a mere 17, 22 or 33 watts of electricity while older streetlights used 95 or more watts to achieve the same level of lighting.

• 6,719 of the lights were upgraded within the Endeavour Energy network as part of the Light Years Ahead project, a regional partnership project coordinated by the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC).
• 1,395 of the lights were upgraded within the Ausgrid network as part of the Streetlighting Improvement Program project, a regional partnership project coordinated by the Southern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (SSROC).

The upgrades are part of Council’s commitment towards our long-term target to reduce carbon emissions by 60% by 2038 (based on 2015 levels).
 

For more information

Contact the LED Streetlights/ Roads Infrastructure team, on 1300 617 058 or council@cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au