Ballarat Grammar is planning to install four 30-metre tall light towers around the new sports field at its Wendouree campus, with the infrastructure touted to benefit the school and potentially the wider sporting community.
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The lights are proposed to be competition grade lighting, above 100 lux, and 'required to illuminate a redevelopment of the sports field to provide for a state of-the-art AFL oval'.
The new field and lights are proposed to be used only by the school for school activities, with any third party uses requiring a new planning permit.
The lights are proposed to operate between 8am and 10pm on any day of the week, in compliance with the Australian standard curfew of 11pm to 6am.
According to the planning documents, the impact of light spill from the new lights is compliant with the Australian standard with modelling showing any spill to dissipate to below 10 lux, the equivalent to dusk and dawn or a street light, when reaching nearby properties on the other side of Forest Street.
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Currently under construction, the redeveloped sports field will have enough room for two soccer pitches, a turf cricket wicket, a football oval and an eight-lane athletics track, all of which will use natural grass.
The current sporting field is comprised of two grassed areas, one with a turf cricket wicket and one with a concrete wicket, and separated by a footpath.
The lights would be installed around the oval roughly at each end of the two 50-metre arcs on the football oval.
Lighting modelling shows that in a football configuration, the lights would reach a maximum brightness of 191 lux and an average of 136 lux, up to AFL competition standards while meeting World Athletics standards for recreation and training in an athletics configuration.
One neighbouring resident, who asked not to be named, said he trusted the lights would not have an adverse effect on their property and that the school had done its due diligence.
"We're looking forward to it, looking forward to the result and trusting that they've done everything right so far that it will be a good result. We're probably keen to see what effect it will have, really," he said.
"I'm trusting that they've done the right thing. There's a lot of money being spent on it. I believe it will be okay."
Another neighbour also said they had no objection to the proposal or other progress at the school and a number of other neighbours held the same opinion.
The proposed 30-metre tall light towers are only just smaller than those installed at Mars Stadium, which are 37 metres in height, but significantly shorter than the Melbourne Cricket Ground's 75-metre light towers.
A Ballarat Grammar spokesperson said the lights would mainly be used after school.
"The proposed training lights at the Ballarat Grammar main ovals will mainly be used in the early evening for after-school sports training, potentially both for community teams such as the GWV Rebels Women's team as well as Ballarat Grammar sports teams and training," the spokesperson said.
"These training lights are similar to other training lights installed at community grounds across Ballarat. They will extend the time that groups are able to use the ground, particularly during the non-Daylight savings period."
The spokesperson said the school had contacted nearby residents about the plans.
"We have written to all residents in Forest Street and encouraged them to contact the school for further information or if they wished to discuss any element of these plans," they said.
"Thus far, one resident has contacted the school seeking further information. They met with staff managing the project, were provided with a tour of the site, as well as a more detailed overview of the plans for the oval."
The planning permit application is currently out for advertisement and is available to be viewed on council's website at eservices.ballarat.vic.gov.au.
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