Dimming lights in Kaikōura to brighten town's prospects

Friday, 30 April 2021

The Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve is the only one of its kind in the southern hemisphere, and one of only 11 in the world.

A Kaikōura group is seeking to create a dark sky reserve in the district in a move to help wildlife and boost tourism.

Kaikōura Night Sky project chair Nicky McArthur said the idea sprung from her role as kaitiaki for one of two Hutton's Shearwater wild colonies left in the world.

The Hutton's Shearwater is an endemic species that is often affected by bright lights.

“I realised I’m worried about the lighting,” McArthur said.

Kaikōura is a seaside town, home to the last two remaining Hutton's Shearwater wild colonies.

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“I realised that there’s a bunch of quite new developments in Kaikōura. Between the Quay, the Sudima, the upgrade of the marina in time, new restaurants, I thought gosh, if we don’t leap now, we’re going to miss the boat.

In Tekapō, a Dark Sky Project was a multi-million dollar astro-tourism attraction.

“It ended up being much more than just about Hutton’s Shearwater, this is about the whole community.

“So I suddenly found myself as the chair of this extraordinary journey. It’s so inspiring.”

McArthur said the group were in the process of forming a trust to work towards achieving an “International Dark Sky Reserve” (IDA) status.

“Absolutely you’re not in the dark,” she said.

“It’s about outside being hooded, and using sensor lights. So it’s basically only have lights when you need them on.”

People often thought about conservation in terms of day-time, when night-time was just as important, McArthur said. She had also spoken to residents in the Hurunui region and Molesworth there was interest to expand the dark-sky area in the future.

“Half of our life is night, and it’s only with electricity, that we’ve really been able to push day into night,” she said.

“In New Zealand, for example, moths are our main pollinator, and moths and insects are being extremely badly affected by light pollution.”

In Tekapō, a Dark Sky Project was a multi-million dollar astro-tourism attraction. This week, the Great South regional development agency announced it was working with the Fiordland community and stakeholders to apply for accreditation from the International Dark Sky Association.

“Kaikōura’s proximity to the ocean and our cultural background, is absolutely key to what we can offer in the way of nighttime tourism,” McArthur said.

“I think if we can create jobs and improve the economy, if that can be the outcome that’s absolutely fantastic.

“I feel it can have an effect for the welfare for the whole community, across human health, animal health and ecology.

“It’s about being aware of the night sky, I think we’ve sort of forgotten to look up. If you go outside at night, in fact the whole sky is your dome, this will enhance that.”

Dr Larry Field, a retired University of Canterbury professor, said light pollution was affecting human health, and causing ecological disruption.

“The whole purpose of this is to stop light pollution in inhabited areas by human beings,” Field said.

“This light pollution means preventing light from being cast upward into the sky at night, and it also means trying to prevent nighttime areas inhabited by humans from becoming artificial daytime habitats.”

He said achieving dark sky reserve status “wasn’t easy”.

“We’re trying to go for the regional Kaikōura district, not just the town, as a dark sky reserve category,” he said.

“To do that you have to go through a lot of hurdles and that includes proving that you have a lot of capability of a really dark sky by measuring for a year with very sensitive light metres.

“You have to prove that you have community agreement and support. So you have to show that you have done outreach, in particular with council’s involved.”

The application also had to show evidence the council would incorporate by-laws or a district plan that would help to retain the dark sky efforts.

“As communities begin to realise that they don’t have to be flooded with bright lights, and they can walk out on the street and see the beautiful night sky, aesthetically it's appealing to many people.”

It was normally a two to three year process.

“This is important because this involves human health that is caused especially by blue and nighttime lighting, and it also involves ecological disruption and trying to mitigate that.”