The centre of Griffith will no longer be plunged into darkness as soon as the sun goes down, following the announcement of new streetlights.
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At last night's council meeting, Griffith City Council decided $60,000 would be used to install four lights along Benerembah Street.
The decision comes after a petition signed by business owners and residents along the street was handed into council - citing concerns over how dark the street gets at night and how the darkness encourages crime.
Speaking to The Area News, Councillor Brian Simpson said the new LED streetlights will be powered by 33 watts of electricity, making them significantly brighter than the street lights used in residential areas which are powered with 17 watts.
...these lights should give us the sufficient coverage that we require.
- Councillor Brian Simpson
"It gets quite dark here but these lights should give us the sufficient coverage that we require," Cr Simpson said.
"This area is one of the entrance areas to Griffith and we get a lot of foot traffic through here ... it's all about improving safety and the ammenities for residents of Griffith."
The installation of the lights will begin this financial year and they could be up and running within the next six months.
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The money for the four lights, which will cost about $15,000 each, will come from a combination of this year and next year's budget, as well as residual funds from previous years.
The exact location of where the lights will be installed along the street is still unknown, though Cr Simpson confirmed they will be put "in areas where they are most needed".
When the issue of lighting along the street was first raised to council, Councillor Anne Napoli commented on the overall appearance of the street, calling it an "eyesore".
She requested council investigate the cost of a "beautification" project along Benerembah, in a similar vein as the ongoing Yambil Street Upgrade project.
This potential beautification will be discussed at council's budget allocations meeting ahead of next financial year.
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