Sunshine Coast becomes Australia’s second International Dark Sky Reserve
Sunshine Coast International Dark Sky Reserve, Australia
The Sunshine Coast hinterland is now officially home to Queensland’s first internationally recognised Dark Sky Reserve, uniting the community, levels of government, agencies and businesses to preserve our star-filled sky.
The Sunshine Coast International Dark Sky Reserve’s official designation by DarkSky International comes after a community push to preserve our starry nights, years of investigation and consultation, and an application to establish the reserve submitted by Sunshine Coast Council.
The Sunshine Coast joins International Dark Sky Reserves including Aoraki Mackenzie (New Zealand), Mont-Mégantic (Canada) and River Murray (Australia).
Stars are becoming increasingly rare around the world, with more than 80 per cent of the world’s population living under skyglow: light pollution that eliminates any visible stars.
Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli said while dark skies were important for wildlife, health and hinterland business, there was a stronger, intangible force behind our communities’ connection with starry skies.
”People in our communities know the awe of looking up at a sky filled with stars, and we’re incredibly lucky to still have that here on the Sunshine Coast,” Mayor Natoli said.
“As our region continues to grow, we need to make sure we keep that wonder for our future generations.
“This Dark Sky Reserve project is both a mechanism to reduce light pollution, and our enduring reminder that dark skies are a precious part of what makes our Sunshine Coast Biosphere special.”
DarkSky International Policy and Destination Manager Dan Oakley congratulated the region on its achievement.
“We are really thrilled to designate the Sunshine Coast International Dark Sky Reserve as it should serve as a tremendous source of dark skies in the area,” Mr Oakley said.
“The work needed to develop and adopt the thorough lighting management plan was well noted by the Dark Sky Committee, and we hope it will serve as an inspiration for others to follow.”
Astronomer Ken Wishaw, a driving force and passionate community champion of the project, said he was spurred into action after hearing from people elsewhere who had lost their starry night skies.
“I am hoping the Reserve will play a major role in educating visitors on the impact of light pollution, and how easy it is to prevent it or reverse it,” Dr Wishaw said.
“The Reserve is the last place in coastal South East Queensland that has starry night skies free of light pollution. This window to the universe will now stay open.
“This has been a ten-year project for me, and, through the tremendous support of the Sunshine Coast Council, it is now a reality for all to experience and enjoy.”
What does a Dark Sky Reserve mean for our community?
The designation under the International Dark Sky Places Program recognises about 870 square kilometres of the Sunshine Coast hinterland as a place committed to protecting natural night skies through responsible lighting and community partnership.
The Dark Sky Reserve area includes the townships of Maleny, Mapleton, Montville, Witta, Flaxton, Kenilworth and Conondale.
A Dark Sky Reserve is a specific category of a Dark Sky place that protects a core area of excellent night sky quality and involves the local community.
As part of the application process, Council developed a lighting management plan and worked in partnership with Energex, Queensland Government agencies and others managing public lighting across the reserve area, balancing the need for lighting while preserving our night skies, the environment, health and wellbeing and energy resources.
Mayor Natoli said Council would continue to work with partners like Dr Wishaw to encourage dark sky friendly habits.
“We’ll always need lighting, but we invite every resident, business and visitor to this special place to do what they can to reduce their light pollution.
“Every decision to use outdoor lighting in smarter ways helps keep stars visible in the sky and preserve this precious element of our hinterland’s landscape and character.
“Our community cherishes its starry night skies – that’s what we’ve heard ever since we started investigating this proposal – and now has the chance to make a real difference in preserving it for future generations.”
Fixing light pollution at the flick of a switch
Unlike other forms of pollution, light pollution can be cleaned up at the speed of light.
Help keep skies dark and starry and make sure outdoor lighting at your home or business is:
warm coloured – blue light creates more light pollution, so choose lights that are warm in colour.
useful – all lights should have a clear purpose
targeted – use shielding and careful aiming to direct the light downward and without spill
low level – use the lowest light brightness required and ensure they are not reflecting upward
controlled – use timers or motion detectors to ensure that light is available when it is needed, dimmed when possible, and turned off when not needed
About the International Dark Sky Places Program: Founded in 2001, the International Dark Sky Places Program is a non-regulatory and voluntary program encouraging communities, parks, and protected areas worldwide to preserve and protect dark sites through effective lighting policies, environmentally responsible outdoor lighting, and public education. When used indiscriminately, artificial light can disrupt ecosystems, impact human health, waste money and energy, contribute to climate change, and block our view and connection to the universe. Sunshine Coast International Dark Sky Reserve now joins more than 270 Places that have demonstrated robust community support for dark sky advocacy and strive to protect the night from light pollution. Learn more by visiting https://darksky.org/what-we-do/international-dark-sky-places/.
About DarkSky International: The mission of DarkSky is to preserve and protect the nighttime environment and our heritage of dark skies through environmentally responsible outdoor lighting. Learn more at darksky.org
Media Contacts
Primary contact
Simone Bright
[email protected]
Senior Policy and Research Officer, Sunshine Coast Council.
Secondary contact
Dr Ken Wishaw
[email protected]
Dan Oakley
Policy and Destination Senior Manager, DarkSky International
+44 780 357 0818
[email protected]
