Streetlighting and glare shields

PMHC Streetlighting

Public lighting plays an important role in providing safe, secure and attractive public areas for both pedestrians and motorists.

You may have noticed the streetlights in our region have been upgraded to LED technology over the past few years as part of a state-wide rollout in collaboration with Essential Energy.

The LED streetlighting is a more reliable, better quality light with improved efficiencies.

Lighting efficiencies

Although the upgraded streetlights may appear to be brighter (as the colour may be whiter) they are more efficient in spreading light more evenly with a much lower rate of ‘waste’ light (obtrusive glare) and less back spill into properties due to improved optics.

This ensures the lighting is more focussed on the road and footpath area. The colour temperature of the new LEDs provide both motorists and pedestrians with optimal safety conditions when present on or near the roadway - all of which comply with current Australian Standards.

Request a glare shield

Step 1.Request a glare shield assessment

Requests for glare shields and vandal guards can be submitted to Council. We will consider the request and contact Essential Energy if necessary.

Unfortunately glare shields are not available for all types of streetlights, and we are unable to guarantee that a glare shield will resolve any issues you're experiencing. 

Your application will be assessed and inspected to determine suitability for installation of a glare shield. Refer to Council’s Fees and Charges for administration and installation of Glare Shields on public streetlights.

Step 2.Submit your application

Complete the Application Form for a Glare Shield here.

Download the form and save it on your computer and complete the details. You can then email your completed Application Form to us at Council@pmhc.nsw.gov.au. This will be referred to our Community Infrastructure team for their review and they'll be in touch.

Step 3.Assessment

A Council Officer will undertake an assessment including reviewing the location of the light, the location of the affected residence, the level of streetlighting in the area, and any adverse road or footpath conditions that may be impacted by additional shading of the light. They will also assess the type of streetlight to determine suitability for a glare shield.

Apply now(PDF, 284KB)

Ways to minimise glare

While we may consider requests from residents to install a glare shield onto a streetlight to minimise impact of light spill into adjacent residences, by installing a glare shield onto one of these LEDs, it results in the streetlighting infrastructure to then become non-compliant for road and pedestrian safety - the purpose for which streetlighting is intended.

In the first instance we ask residents review other options such as blinds, awnings, or alternative methods to minimise light infiltration.

Have you tried other methods to dilute or divert the light? 

  • Block out curtains
  • Blinds
  • Awnings
  • Shutters
  • Landscaping 
  • Repurposing the affected room
  • Other methods 

LED technology requires less maintenance and generates a consistent warm to white light. The white light generated from LEDs will vary from some of the pre-existing streetlights, which can appear yellow (high pressure sodium) and amber (low pressure sodium).

The lighting technology that has been removed to make way for these new LED, were aged lamps (approximately 4 years old) which over time, deteriorate with less output each night, hence having an appearance of being ‘duller’. The LED lights installed consume around 17 watts each, replacing high-energy lights which have been consuming between 50 and 100 watts each.

There are fees associated with glare shield requests, including an Application Fee payable to Council for the assessment, internal administration and external liaison with Essential Energy for investigation into the technical specifications for the glare shield and processing this request with Essential Energy, and a fee for the Provision of the Luminaire Glare Shield. Glare shields are installed by Essential Energy with the costs passed on to the applicant.

The user-pays fee is passed on to the resident as it is they who is receiving the benefit of the reduced light spill, and installing a glare shield minimises the purpose the streetlighting would be providing to the public.

Essential Energy charges a fee for the provision of a glare shield. This fee is the Australian Energy Regulator's prescribed fee which we pass on to the customer.

Should you wish to progress an Application for a Glare Shield, we would also need to consult with the adjacent property owners to notify them of your request and confirm their support. It’s also important to acknowledge we are unable to guarantee the effectiveness that a glare shield may provide. If in the instance the shield is installed, any costs associated with a request to remove the shield would be borne by the applicant.

There are associated fees and charges when submitting an application to install a glare shield on a streetlight - as this is a 'user-pays' request. Fees include an Application Fee for the assessment by our Transport Engineer, review of the site for public safety, administration, processing and liaison with Essential Energy. There are also fees for the provision of a glare shield - these fees are Essential Energy fees which are passed on to the applicant.

After your Application is received, you'll receive an invoice with the relevant fees and charges. We are more than happy to discuss this with you at the time. 

Fees fare available to view at Fees & charges.