Jean Street Reserve solar path lights
A major upgrade of Jean Street Reserve and Garfield Lane in Cheltenham, Victoria has transformed a dark and uninviting public space avoided by locals into an award-winning park. New lighting was an essential part of the upgrades, with 98% of respondents to a City of Kingston survey saying that proper lighting in the area would make them feel safer.
Client
Kingston City Council
Traditional Custodians
Bunurong People of the Kulin Nation
Community Consultation calls for outdoor pathway lighting
Jean Street Reserve and Garfield Lane are a vital thoroughfare connecting Southland Train Station with the Westfield Southland Shopping Centre. The area is also an important recreation space for local families. Safety concerns however prompted the City of Kingston to conduct a resident survey, which found 61% of respondents felt unsafe in the park and 75% said they did not feel safe using Garfield Lane. It was noted by council that this was of particular concern to women and gender diverse people. One respondent commented, “At night I don’t walk down there alone. As a woman, I don’t feel safe walking alone [down Garfield Lane].”
An overwhelming majority of 98% of respondents said that proper lighting in the area would make them feel safer. The report concluded, “The improvement of lighting was commonly referred to as the most pressing issue and general anti-social behaviour in the reserve and lane is of significant concern to many respondents.”
Acting on these findings, the City of Kingston partnered with Westfield Southland and the Victorian Government on a major upgrade for the park.
Project Challenges
Solar path lights without direct sunlight
The City of Kingston wanted to install an off-grid, sustainable lighting solution, however a sheer, 20-meter high wall on the northern side of the reserve meant that there was very limited direct sunlight available, especially in winter.
Urgency and a tight timeline
Council’s survey and accompanying report concluded that upgrades to Jean Street Reserve and Garfield Lane were both necessary and urgent. With a tight timeline of just three months, Leadsun had to work quickly, collaborating with the electrical contractor on the project, Hayespower to install the lights.
A sensitive lighting solution needed
Residential properties on the southern side of Jean Street Reserve and Garfield Lane meant that a sensitive urban lighting solution was needed to reduce light spill into adjacent homes.
A flexible solution leveraging multiple pathway lighting products
The many and varied challenges of the site meant that a versatile solution was needed that could leverage the unique benefits of a range of different Leadsun lighting products.
31 lights were installed, including pole lights along pathways, link lights fixed to walls, bollard lights near adjacent homes and fairy lights for added ambience.
Careful calculation and planning by Leadsun engineers was needed to make sure the system could provide sufficient lighting, year-round without unwanted light spill into nearby homes.
A remotely located energy storage system (RESS) including solar panel and onboard battery was positioned at the northern end of the park for maximum solar gain.
Extra-low voltage (ELV) underground cabling was used to connect the lights to the RESS, helping to reduce installation time and meet Council’s tight deadline for the project.
From unsafe to dream open space
Completed in June 2023, the transformation of Jean Street Reserve and Garfield Lane has been well received by the local community and the City of Kingston who excitedly announced on social media, “your dream open space is here!”
In 2024 the project won the 2024 VIC Landscape Architecture Awards in the Parks and Open Space category.
In addition to a range of new solar path lights, the upgrades included play equipment, plantings, murals and breakout social seating.
Leadsun Business Development Manager, Walter Terella, said that “this project presented a number of challenges that we are pleased to say were overcome with the flexibility of our products and expertise of our team.”
Solar Path Light Products used
- Lighting Products: Pole Light (AE6), Bollard Lightss, Link Lights, Fairy Lights
- Solar module series – AE6
- LED output: Pole light 10W each, Link Lights 5W each, Fairy Lights 8W x 2, Bollard 1.5W each
- LED programming: Fairy Lights 5 Hours then OFF, Light Links & Pole Lights 5 Hours then DIM, Bollards 1.5W All Night
- Pole & footing type – Ragbolt, EZYTilt + EZYWinch
Lighting Applications
Acknowledgement of Country
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this project was undertaken, the Bunurong People of the Kulin Nation. We recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.
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