Establishing a proposed Sunshine Coast Dark Sky Reserve
Council is commencing a phased community engagement process on a proposal to establish a Sunshine Coast Dark Sky Reserve through the International Dark Sky Places Program.
A Dark Sky Reserve is one of the five designation types offered under the International Dark Sky Places Program which seeks to preserve and protect dark sites through responsible lighting policies and public education.
A dark sky is the natural occurrence of the night sky that is free from human-caused light pollution.
Light pollution can impact on the quality of our night skies and the amount of light pollution on the Sunshine Coast could be expected to increase across the next 20 years and beyond as our population increases.
Reducing light pollution can deliver many benefits to the community including economic, health and wellbeing, emissions reduction and wildlife friendly habitat outcomes.
We are lucky here on the Sunshine Coast to have quality night skies in a number of areas across the region and Council is looking at ways to continue to preserve this amazing asset.
Background
- Proposed Dark Sky Reserve map (PDF 2340KB)
- Briefing paper for International Dark Sky Association eligibility assessment – Proposed Sunshine Coast Dark Sky Reserve (PDF 1250KB)
- Proposed Dark Sky Reserve frequently asked questions (PDF 178KB)
Stay updated on the project
Keep an eye out on Council's website and this dedicated page or contact the Environment and Sustainability Policy Team at [email protected].
This project is contributing to our Sunshine Coast Biosphere.