By ANNA USHER

Plans for brighter nights at local ovals have been dimmed, with North Sydney Council ruling out extended lighting hours on green spaces – except for a modest trial at Anderson Park in Neutral Bay.

At Monday night’s meeting, councillors were presented with a detailed report on the feasibility of boosting after-dark access in local parks, a move aimed at improving safety and recreation during the colder months.

But while residents won’t see floodlights shining longer at Forsyth, Waverton or Primrose, the Anderson Park outdoor gym will undergo a three-month trial.

Council has approved $5,224 for the project, reallocated from its lighting maintenance budget.

“To assess the relative success of the trial, it is also recommended that people-counting sensors be installed to monitor equipment use, with a baseline data capture of at least two weeks prior to the activation of evening lighting,” the report states.

Extending sports field lighting until 8:00 pm for general community use was estimated at between $21,780 and $29,040 over 12 weeks. The plan was rejected, with officers noting: “Extending lighting outside of existing bookings is not recommended … as the significant cost to operate high intensity floodlighting without a revenue offset has not been factored into Council’s 2025/26 Operational Budget.”

Council also warned that extra hours would speed up wear and tear on fields and could lead to “unauthorised use by sporting clubs or teams for practice, which would be challenging for Council to enforce.”

Current bookings already stretch into the evening, with Forsyth Park hired until 9:00 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays, Waverton Park occupied until 9:00 pm Monday to Thursday, and Primrose Park fields also in use until 9:00 pm several nights a week. Lights remain on for 15 minutes after each booking ends.

Meanwhile, a proposed lighting trial at St Leonards Park playground was scrapped after officers raised concerns about native microbats roosting in the area and questioned whether families would realistically use play equipment on cold winter nights. Lighting for the playground may instead be considered in the upcoming St Leonards Park Masterplan.

The lighting report also revealed that an audit of 55 parks and reserves across the LGA uncovered 21 faults or outages, most of which have now been referred for repair.

Despite the focus on after-dark access, Council said it received just four requests for more lighting in the 12 months leading up to May — and several complaints from residents about sports field lights already in operation.

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