Melbourne, Australia Politicians Considering Nightly Curfew On LED Billboards To Curb Light Pollution

July 18, 2024 by Dave Haynes

A proposal in front of local politicians in Melbourne, Australia would see digital OOH billboards in that city subject to a curfew, in an effort to curb light pollution from big, super-bright LED displays affixed to buildings.

A report in the Guardian newspaper says a review of current conditions suggests location-specific lighting requirements be created for three defined areas, including: the central business district; specific commercial and industrial areas; and mixed-use areas that have  residential. The review suggests the screens should be switched or just run black, I suppose, between midnight and sunrise on weeknights and 1 AM to sunrise on weekends.

In areas where pedestrian activity at night is low, the screen curfew could run between 11 PM and sunrise. Digital displays and illuminated static signage that identify buildings and businesses would not be subject to the curfew.

The review found illuminated signs increase artificial light at night in Melbourne and is detrimental to that big city’s liveability and sustainability. The review also cites concerns about the impacts of bright lighting on wildlife, particularly bird populations.

The report’s recommendations will be discussed next week by the city council’s Future Melbourne Committee.

There are technologies, like the Siteline tech from Toronto-based LE manufacturer Media Resources, that reduce the impacts of light pollution for set-ups like digital boards on highways next to residential areas. But in a big city center, people with apartments and condos may well be dealing all night, every night, with unwelcomed light shows. I remember being in Manila a few years ago, and visiting a downtown shopping mall that had a huge LED wall on its facade, directly across from residential blocks.  I am sure residents were delighted by that screen lighting up their living and sleeping areas.

This curfew doesn’t seem all that onerous for media companies, as it would largely be in effect when these areas have cleared out late in the evening, and the numbers of “eyeballs” that might see ads are a fraction of what they are through a day. The argument could also be made that the energy bills will go down for these companies.

A wild card, though, is how this would be done gracefully and reliably. I THINK things have improved, but I have heard a few times from manufacturers and integrators that powering down a big LED display and then bringing it back on is not like powering off a TV or commercial monitor. It’s finicky, I’ve been told. You can run just a black image and that will do the job, without powering down, and reduce energy consumption, but that’s not turning them off.

Happy to get clarity on that in the comments.