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CitiPower and Jemena own approximately 12,000 and 800 lights respectively within the City of Melbourne. We own approximately 3000 street lights. Each authority is responsible for the operation, maintenance and replacement of its own lights.
We are responsible for making decisions about public lighting on local roads, and our consent is required to make alterations to public lighting on these roads.
The Department of Transport and the City of Melbourne are jointly responsible for making decisions about public lighting on arterial roads, so both authorities’ consent is required for public lighting alterations on these roads. CitiPower and Jemena will require consent from both parties before proceeding further. For Department of Transport consent, please refer to their website for more information.
How to request new public lighting
Our municipality is experiencing significant growth which requires the provision of safe and functional road infrastructure. The City of Melbourne can influence the provision of public lighting through the development planning process. Planning permit conditions may require you to improve existing or provide new public lighting as part of development works.
When you need to prepare a lighting design as part of a new development or requirements of a town planning permit we recommend you to review our Public Lighting Strategy and Lighting Guidelines.
A suitably qualified lighting consultant will prepare and certify the public lighting design and lux plots for the existing and proposed public lighting system.
How to request alterations to public lighting
As part of your building or road construction works you may need to request temporary or permanent alterations to the public lighting system.
Public lighting system include:
- lighting poles
- pole or wall mounted brackets and luminaires
- overhead or underground cables
- wall mounted or underground conduits, switchboards and junction boxes
- electrical cabinets
- electrical pits.
The public lighting system can be metered or unmetered.
Metered public lighting assets are owned by the City of Melbourne.
There are two types of unmetered public lighting assets:
- Non-contestable unmetered public lighting (owned, operated and maintained by electricity distributors, either CitiPower / Powercor or Jemena)
- Lighting connected to an unmetered 2 Amp point of supply (owned, operated and maintained by City of Melbourne)
City of Melbourne’s consent is required to alter public lighting assets regardless of public lighting ownership.
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You can apply for alteration of public lighting by sending your request to us by email: enquiries@melbourne.vic.gov.au.
We may request further information and to arrange a joint site meeting with you, the responsible authority and the distributor.
The application process can take up to 15 business days. Please note that the application process might be delayed due to the absence of the required information. We might request you to provide a security bond prior to the issue of our approval.
Non-contestable unmetered public lighting
Following our approval and issue of a letter of consent for altering public lighting system on the non-contestable unmetered public lighting network, you need to contact the responsible electricity distributor, CitiPower Powercor or Jemena, to undertake the alterations. The works are undertaken at the applicant’s cost.
Metered or unmetered 2 Amp point of supply
Following our approval and issue of a letter of consent for altering public lighting system on an unmetered 2 Amp point of supply or metered network, you need to engage our public lighting maintenance service provider, High Access Cabling, to carry out the works. You need to cover all costs associated with alterations to public lighting including provision of temporary lighting and reinstatement of permanent lighting.