Mercury Vapour Streetlight Replacement Program

Street lighting improves road user safety at night by illuminating roads and footpaths making it easier for people to drive or walk along streets at night. 

The project is removing mercury vapour lights. Following the enactment of the Minamata Convention in August 2017, the production, import and export of all mercury lamps are prohibited from 2021/22. These lights need to be replaced as they are no longer serviceable and have high energy use. 

Works are planned to take place from March to April 2026. For a project of this size, specific works schedules are developed on a week-by-week basis. Weather and other contributing factors can result in delays. Works can be expected to occur on weekdays.

The changeover of a street light involves a single elevated work platform with two to three crew members. In most locations it takes less than 10 minutes to replace a street light, with more complex locations taking up to 30 minutes. In most locations there will be minimal disruption to traffic, however crews may be required to close traffic lanes for a period of time. All cars can remain parked on the street. However, please ensure that the cars are not parked directly under the street lighting pole.

The LED lights have been selected based on energy efficiency, cost efficiency and suitability from the selection of products approved for use by AusNet Services, which is the distribution company that owns the lighting infrastructure across the region. The lights have been tested to ensure they meet relevant Australian Standards in regards to safety and light levels. These lights are already operating across a number of council areas in Victoria.

The new lights have:

• Greater uniformity of light across and along the street;
• Better colour rendering and visibility;
• Less depreciation of light output over time;
• Less glare; and
• Lower maintenance costs.

Healey Infrastructure have been engaged to install the new LEDs and remove the old lights. Healey Infrastructure will be liaising with Wangaratta Council throughout the project.

They are manufactured by Sylvania Schreder and are assembled in Australia.

The luminaire (the main body of the light including the LED light source) will last about 20 years, as will the LED chips. 

The lights are owned and maintained by energy distribution business AusNet Services. Wangaratta Council pays for the electricity the lights consume and the ongoing maintenance of the street lights.

Yes. The recycling of old lights taken down during the project is the responsibility of the installer. The installer is required to recycle around 98% of the old lights. For example, the glass collected is recycled into products such as glass wool insulation for homes. The mercury is distilled and reused in the dental industry to manufacture amalgam. Metal such as the aluminium body and other fixed components (for example, steel screws and copper wires) are collected and melted down for reuse.