Kaikōura SH1

Roadway

LIGHTING THE WAY FOR KAIKŌURA

NZTA State Highway 1 through Kaikōura required a lighting upgrade due to ageing HPS luminaires. At the same time, the region’s push for International Dark Sky Sanctuary status placed greater emphasis on reducing light pollution and protecting the natural night environment, especially the native Hutton's shearwater, who are adversely affected by light pollution.

Challenges

The project needed to balance safety, compliance, and environmental protection. Key challenges included meeting strict dark sky requirements, minimising light spill, protecting local ecology, and working within existing infrastructure constraints.

Solutions

Collaboration between NZTA, Kaikōura District Council, Kaikōura Dark Sky Trust, Connetics, PJL and Energylight was central to the project’s success. Early engagement, particularly with the Kaikōura Dark Sky Trust helped influence key design decisions and ensure environmental priorities were embedded from the outset.
This collaborative approach led to a shift from a standard 3000K design to a mixture of 2200K & 2700K LED lighting, better suited to protecting the night sky and local wildlife. The solution incorporated combined optics, zero tilt, and full cut-off luminaires to precisely control light and eliminate upward spill, alongside smart controls for dimming and seasonal adjustment during fledgling season.

Outcomes

The upgrade delivered improved road safety and compliance while significantly reducing environmental impact. Community and stakeholder feedback has been highly positive, with the project now seen as a benchmark for environmentally responsible road lighting.
As highlighted by the Kaikōura Dark Sky Trust:
“This project demonstrated that road safety, functionality, environmental responsibility and dark sky protection can successfully work together.”
The Trust also recognised the project as an important step forward, noting it represents “an important benchmark for future lighting projects, especially in environmentally sensitive locations.”