Very few people give much thought to the street lights that make our suburbs safe at night. They are simply a fact of life - and we only give them thought when a bulb needs replacing or a storm causes a power failure.
The light poles, cables and bulbs are all supplied by which ever power company services our neck of the woods. Energy Australia, Integral Energy or Country Energy then bill the local council for the power used.
We know that electricity prices are set to rise sharply - and lighting the city and suburbs uses a lot of that commodity. The power companies are talking to the Australian Energy Regulator ( AER ), about an 11% increase in July - and suggesting that street lighting costs could increase by 40% by 2014.
Councils fear this is an under estimate - and that the true cost could be more likely 67% by 2014.
Rate rises are pegged by the state government, hence if street lighting increases sharply councils will either have to cut back other services - or make economies with the street lighting programme.
Sooner or later they will need to consider a range of options - and these could include a reduction in the wattage of light bulbs used to the idea of turning off every second street light.
The result would be a dimmer city - and public safety would have to be a consideration - but that seems to be the choice between keeping street lighting in it's present form and reducing items such as the hours of public libraries or mending fewer pot holes in our roads.
Either way - it will not be a popular decision !
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