Five minutes to forge our dark sky future
Time is running out to have your say on the proposal to establish a Dark Sky Reserve in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.
Ken Wishaw
Have you ever looked up in wonder at a sky filled with stars? It’s part of what makes our region special.
To protect our night sky from light pollution as our region grows, Sunshine Coast Council is proposing to establish a Dark Sky Reserve in parts of our hinterland and is calling for community feedback on the proposal.
Now time is running out to make your mark on the future of our region’s dark skies.
Visit the Have Your Say website to complete the survey by 5pm, Sunday, June 16, and share why dark skies are important to you.
Check out the “Share” tab to see some incredible astrophotography images taken in our region and submit your own.
Wildlife, health and wellbeing, hinterland business: all these and more benefit from dark skies with plenty of stars.
About 15,000 residents live in the proposed reserve area, which would include the townships of Maleny, Mapleton, Montville, Witta, Flaxton and Conondale.
What is a Dark Sky Reserve?
A Dark Sky Reserve is designated by the International Dark Sky Places program.
Establishing a reserve would involve demonstrating our commitment to reducing light pollution through:
- improving public lighting such as streetlights
- progressing dark sky friendly lighting standards
- showing our communities care about our dark skies and want to preserve them for the future.
There are only five Dark Sky Places in Australia.