LED street lighting upgrade program Timeline report 2017 to August 2026

Contents

• Executive summary
• Timeline
• 11 July 2017 — Item 8.1, "Transition to LED Street Lighting," was considered by Council and is…
• 12 September 2017 — Item 9.1, "Transition to LED Street Lighting," was considered by Council and is…
• 26 September 2017 — Item 8.1, "Transition to LED Street Lighting," was again considered by Council and is…
• 28 November 2017 — Item 8.1, "Transition to LED Street Lighting – Contract Agreement," was brought to…
• 12 December 2017 — Council considered Item 8.2, "Transition to LED Street Lighting – Contract Agreement,"…
• February 2018 — Mitcham Community News reported that Council would upgrade over 5,000 street lights to…
• April 2018 — A follow-up Mitcham Community News article confirmed that replacement of street lights…
• August 2018 — A council communication on the Climate Emergency declaration recorded that 4,980 lights…
• March 2021 — A climate/emissions briefing recorded a project, described as "in progress," to change…
• August 2022 — Item 14.3, "LED Street Lighting Upgrade Project," reported that, as part of its current…
• November 2022 — A "Trend Insights" report on converting street lighting to LED recorded a target of 75…
• February 2023 — A briefing listing "Energy Projects: Delivered" included the LED street light…
• July 2023 — Item 15.3, "LED Street Lighting Upgrade project," reported that Council's business plan…
• January 2024 — Item 15.2, "LED Street Lighting Upgrade project," reported that SAPN had undertaken…
• August 2024 — A "Traffic and Transport projects" briefing reported the LED lighting upgrade as 95%…
• November 2024 — Item 12.1, "Converting Street Lighting to LED," reported the program as 95% complete
• March 2025 — A "Traffic Control Device New Construction" report noted that the LED lighting program…
• August 2025 — Item 12.2, "LED Street Lighting Upgrade project," repeated the over-95%-complete status…
• February 2026 — Item 12.1, "LED Street Lighting Upgrade project," again reported the program over 95%…
• May 2026 — A supporting report under "Focus Area 4 – Parking" and "Focus Area 6 – Technology"…
• August 2026 — A briefing on the "current phase" of the program, covering the remaining 478 lights,…
• Key findings
• Open questions

Executive summary

The City of Mitcham has run a multi-year program to convert its street lighting fleet to LED luminaires, beginning with confidential contract negotiations with SA Power Networks (SAPN) in 2017 and a Council decision in December 2017 to replace 5,306 residential 'P category' street lights under a 10-year SAPN PLC Tariff contract [5]. The changeover was publicised in early 2018 as covering more than 5,000 lights [31][26], with roughly 4,980 lights converted by August 2018 [24]. A second, larger phase covering approximately 2,400 remaining street lights was subsequently endorsed as part of Council's business plan and progressed through 2022–2026, encountering supply-chain delays, a Development Application requirement for Colonel Light Gardens, and a long-running review of decorative "ornamental" (Kensington-style and B2001) lighting in areas such as Craigburn Farm, Springfield and Urrbrae [7][10][11][13][15][16][18].

As at August 2026, the overall program is reported approximately 95% complete, with 7,300 lights upgraded and 478 ornamental HID lights remaining, concentrated in Craigburn Farm, Springfield, Mitcham (Village) and other suburbs [22]. Council has been consulting on two options — a like-for-like standard side-entry LED replacement and an ornamental LED replacement — within an available remaining budget of $1.076 million [23], with community engagement running through mid-to-late 2026 [21]. Several items relating to the 2017 SAPN contract negotiations remain listed as confidential and retained in Council's Confidentiality Register [25][27][28][29][30].

Timeline

11 July 2017

Item 8.1, "Transition to LED Street Lighting," was considered by Council and is recorded in the Confidentiality Register with a status of "Retain" [27].

12 September 2017

Item 9.1, "Transition to LED Street Lighting," was considered by Council and is recorded in the Confidentiality Register with a status of "Retain" [30].

26 September 2017

Item 8.1, "Transition to LED Street Lighting," was again considered by Council and is recorded in the Confidentiality Register with a status of "Retain" [27].

28 November 2017

Item 8.1, "Transition to LED Street Lighting – Contract Agreement," was brought to Council as a confidential report for discussion; it is recorded in the Confidentiality Register with a status of "Retain" [28]. The subsequent 12 December 2017 agenda notes that this report had been "previously brought to Council on 28 November 2017 as a confidential report for discussion" [1][2].

12 December 2017

Council considered Item 8.2, "Transition to LED Street Lighting – Contract Agreement," now presented as a revised confidential report for decision [1][2]. The proposal was to authorise the Chief Executive Officer to (1) sign the SA Power Networks Contract Agreement to replace 5,306 residential 'P category' street lights with LED luminaires under the SAPN PLC Tariff, and (2) enter into a commercial agreement with a carbon market agent (Australian Integrated Carbon and Gray Consulting) prior to signing the SAPN agreement, to secure an additional financial return estimated at $28,000 over seven years [3][4].

Cr Fisher moved that the public be excluded under Section 90(2) of the *Local Government Act 1999* on the grounds that the report contained commercial-in-confidence information about the pricing model for street lighting and carbon credits/abatement, disclosure of which could prejudice the commercial position of SAPN, the selected carbon agent, and Council; this motion, seconded by Cr Todd, was carried, and the meeting moved into confidence [5].

In confidence, Decision 1 was moved by Cr Fisher: that Council authorise the CEO to sign a contract with SAPN to replace the 5,306 residential 'P category' street lights with LED luminaires under the SAPN PLC Tariff, based on a 10-year contract term with changeover commencing January 2018 and implemented over 1–2 years (subject to final agreement with SAPN); Council purchasing the LED luminaires and providing them to SAPN for installation at an estimated one-off capital cost not exceeding $2.06 million, with Council retaining ownership; Council funding future maintenance/replacement of damaged or failed luminaires after warranty expiry; and SAPN managing the street lighting fleet and maintaining the power network and light supports at its own cost under the SAPN PLC Tariff. The decision also noted commercial benefits over an estimated 20-year luminaire life (assuming contract/tariff extension or transfer on similar terms): a payback period of 5.6 years and net annualised savings of around $292,650 per annum ($5.85 million over 20 years) [5][8 in Q&A record].

This item, "Transition to LED Street Lighting – Contract Agreement," is recorded in the Confidentiality Register with a status of "Retain" [29].

February 2018

Mitcham Community News reported that Council would upgrade over 5,000 street lights to energy-efficient LED technology in 2018, beginning in February and expected to be complete by mid-2018, across zones covering suburbs including Urrbrae, Springfield, Leawood Gardens, Netherby, Brownhill Creek, Kingswood, Torrens Park, Mitcham, Hawthorn, Westbourne Park, Clarence Gardens, Cumberland Park, Melrose Park, Daw Park, Lower Mitcham, Clapham, Panorama, Pasadena, St Marys, Bedford Park, Bellevue Heights, Eden Hills, Craigburn Farm, Coromandel Valley and Blackwood [31]. The article stated the project would cost approximately $2.2 million, offset by savings in electricity charges, lower maintenance costs and reduced lighting tariffs, and projected annual savings of approximately $300,000 and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of approximately 605 tonnes per year, together with anticipated carbon credit payments of approximately $28,000 over seven years under the Federal Emission Reduction Fund scheme. Old lights were to be recycled by Enerven [31].

April 2018

A follow-up Mitcham Community News article confirmed that replacement of street lights with LEDs had commenced in February and was underway across seven zones of the city, reiterating the same environmental and cost-saving benefits [26]. Craigburn Farm was included in Zone 7 alongside Coromandel Valley and Blackwood [26].

August 2018

A council communication on the Climate Emergency declaration recorded that 4,980 lights had been changed to LED by August 2018 [24].

March 2021

A climate/emissions briefing recorded a project, described as "in progress," to change all streetlights to energy-efficient technology by 2030, noting that a grant application had been submitted to state government seeking matching (dollar-for-dollar) funding for the LED streetlight changeover [6]. The associated cost was given as $1.88 million, with an expected annual emission reduction of 136 tCO2e, representing 3.2% of total emissions [6].

August 2022

Item 14.3, "LED Street Lighting Upgrade Project," reported that, as part of its current business plan, Council had endorsed a project to upgrade approximately 2,400 street lights to LEDs. Delivery of phase one was pending implementation by SAPN, with the project delayed due to global supply issues affecting procurement of new LED lights. For the Colonel Light Gardens area, a Development Application was required for changes to road lighting and was underway; subject to its outcome, the upgrade in that area was expected in late 2022. Overall project completion was estimated for early 2023 [7].

November 2022

A "Trend Insights" report on converting street lighting to LED recorded a target of 75 against an actual of 50, noting that procurement (via SAPN) of new streetlights had been delayed due to supply issues and was scheduled to begin in Q1 of the 2022/23 financial year; the evaluation of Category V lighting was reported as complete [8].

February 2023

A briefing listing "Energy Projects: Delivered" included the LED street light transition among completed items, alongside solar panels on Council-owned buildings, stage 1 of the Council fleet EV transition, and stage 1 of the Community Renewables Program [9].

July 2023

Item 15.3, "LED Street Lighting Upgrade project," reported that Council's business plan project to upgrade approximately 2,400 remaining street lights to LED lighting was continuing, with delivery of the first phase of the SAPN order underway. Procurement of new LED lights had been delayed due to global supply issues. For the Colonel Light Gardens area, the road lighting Development Application had been approved and procurement completed. Installation of all LED upgrade lights was scheduled to be completed by the end of the calendar year, as advised by SAPN [10].

January 2024

Item 15.2, "LED Street Lighting Upgrade project," reported that SAPN had undertaken installation and completed over 90% of the LED changeover. A V-category LED lighting upgrade Development Application had been submitted for the Colonel Light Gardens area, with the upgrade to proceed subject to approval. The report also noted that some existing lighting in the Springfield and Craigburn Farm areas was 'Kensington style' decorative lighting, with a review underway to determine the best approach to upgrading this non-LED lighting to LED [11].

August 2024

A "Traffic and Transport projects" briefing reported the LED lighting upgrade as 95% complete, with procurement of 'ornamental' lighting underway for local areas such as Urrbrae [12].

November 2024

Item 12.1, "Converting Street Lighting to LED," reported the program as 95% complete. The LED changeover had been completed for all pedestrian (P) and vehicle (V) lighting categories not completed in Stage 1, with the exception of P category decorative lighting. Community engagement on the P category decorative lighting was scheduled to commence in Q2 of the 2024/25 financial year, with the LED changeover to be completed in Q3 of that financial year [13].

March 2025

A "Traffic Control Device New Construction" report noted that the LED lighting program was at the procurement stage for remaining locations, and that the overall program was progressing as planned [14].

Item 12.2, "LED Street Lighting Upgrade project," reported SAPN had completed over 95% of the LED changeover. A review was underway for procurement of the remaining 'ornamental' Kensington-style decorative lighting present in areas such as Urrbrae, Springfield and parts of Mitcham, to determine the best way forward for converting this non-LED lighting. A procurement process was to be undertaken by April 2025, with implementation to follow soon after [15].

August 2025

Item 12.2, "LED Street Lighting Upgrade project," repeated the over-95%-complete status and the ongoing review of ornamental Kensington-style lighting procurement, but reported that the initiative had been delayed due to the prioritisation of other projects. The procurement process was rescheduled to be undertaken by September 2025, with implementation to follow soon after [16].

A strategic planning briefing under "Focus Area 6 – Technology" listed an "LED road lighting upgrade program" together with smart solutions utilising existing infrastructure (e.g., road lighting, open spaces, smart street lights) as part of a 10-year plan with four-year delivery and review priorities [17].

February 2026

Item 12.1, "LED Street Lighting Upgrade project," again reported the program over 95% complete, with the ornamental Kensington-style lighting review ongoing for Urrbrae, Springfield and parts of Mitcham. A procurement process was now to be undertaken by February/March 2026, with implementation to occur soon after [18].

May 2026

A supporting report under "Focus Area 4 – Parking" and "Focus Area 6 – Technology" repeated the reference to an LED road lighting upgrade program and smart solutions as part of the 10-year strategic plan [19].

A related item described the LED road lighting upgrade program as encompassing smart solutions using existing infrastructure (road lighting, open spaces, smart street lights) and a smart school zones trial, referenced alongside consultation on "Moving Mitcham – Your Integrated Transport Plan" [20].

August 2026

A briefing on the "current phase" of the program, covering the remaining 478 lights, set out a timeline: in April 2026 the phase began, with a consultant appointed and the project scoped; in July 2026 the community was notified, with approximately 1,450 letters sent across seven suburbs (Craigburn Farm, Springfield, Mitcham (village), Pasadena, Panorama, Urrbrae and St Marys); between July and August 2026 feedback was received and community responses reviewed; and in August 2026 options were explored, with Council working with the consultant and quotes received from SAPN [21].

A "Program Position" briefing reported the rollout as approximately 95% complete, with 7,300 lights upgraded and 478 ornamental HID lights remaining (367 Kensington-style and 111 B2001-style), noting that completing the remaining lights would finalise the program at 100% of scope. The remaining lights were distributed as: Craigburn Farm 334 (all Kensington-style), Springfield 65 (all B2001), Mitcham (Village) 19 (Kensington-style), and other suburbs (Pasadena, Panorama, Urrbrae, St Marys) 60 (14 Kensington-style, 46 B2001) [22].

A "Way Forward" briefing set out two options for the remaining lights: Option A, a like-for-like replacement with standard side-entry LED, described as the lowest cost and offering the strongest consistency; and Option B, ornamental LED, described as aligning with recent community feedback. Both options were stated to be expected to fit within the available project budget of $1.076 million, with Option B costing $600,000 more than Option A [23].

The Confidentiality Register, as at 25 August 2026, continued to list the four 2017 LED street lighting items (11 July 2017, 12 September 2017, 26 September 2017, and 28 November/12 December 2017 contract items) with a status of "Retain," among a broader register of 148 items (130 retained, 10 partially released, 8 with status not recorded) spanning meetings from 25 September 2007 to 30 June 2026 [25][27][28][29][30].

Key findings

• Council's LED street lighting program originated in confidential reports to Council between July and December 2017, culminating in a December 2017 decision authorising the CEO to sign a 10-year contract with SA Power Networks to replace 5,306 residential 'P category' street lights with LED luminaires under the SAPN PLC Tariff [5].
• The 2017 contract decision set a capital cost ceiling of $2.06 million, projected net annualised savings of around $292,650 (approximately $5.85 million over 20 years), and a payback period of 5.6 years, with Council retaining ownership of the luminaires and funding future maintenance after warranty [5].
• Public-facing council communications in early-to-mid 2018 described the same rollout in somewhat different terms — over 5,000 lights, a project cost of approximately $2.2 million, and annual savings variously reported as approximately $293,000 to $300,000 [31][26].
• A second, larger phase — endorsed as part of Council's business plan to upgrade approximately 2,400 remaining street lights — proceeded from at least 2022 through 2026, repeatedly delayed by global supply-chain issues affecting SAPN's procurement of new LED lights [7][8][10].
• The Colonel Light Gardens area required a Development Application for road lighting changes, which was approved and followed by completed procurement by mid-2023 [7][10].
• From 2024, official reporting consistently identified decorative 'ornamental' lighting (Kensington-style and B2001-style) in Springfield, Craigburn Farm, Urrbrae, Mitcham (Village) and other suburbs as the remaining, unresolved portion of the program, requiring a separate review and procurement process [11][13][15][16][18][22].
• As at August 2026, the program was reported approximately 95% complete overall, with 7,300 lights upgraded and 478 ornamental HID lights (367 Kensington-style, 111 B2001-style) remaining, concentrated heavily in Craigburn Farm (334) [22].
• Council has been consulting communities in seven affected suburbs during 2026 and weighing two replacement options — standard side-entry LED (Option A, lower cost) versus ornamental LED (Option B, aligned with community feedback, $600,000 more expensive) — within an available remaining budget of $1.076 million [21][23].
• Several 2017 confidential Council items relating to the original SAPN contract negotiations remain recorded as "Retain" in the Confidentiality Register as at August 2026, meaning the underlying commercial documents have not been shown as released [25][27][28][29][30].

Open questions

• The record does not include the minutes or outcome of the 28 November 2017 confidential Council discussion of the LED street lighting contract, only that it occurred and was followed by a revised report on 12 December 2017 [1][2][28].
• Later reports do not state whether the "current business plan" project to upgrade approximately 2,400 remaining street lights (from 2022 onward) is a continuation of the original 2017/5,306-light SAPN contract or a separate, subsequently endorsed project; the relationship between the two phases is not made explicit in the sources.
• The material does not specify who makes the technical selection of LED luminaire models or brands (Council or SAPN) for the street lighting program.
• Figures for cost and savings differ slightly between the December 2017 Council decision ($2.06 million capital cost, $292,650/yr savings) and the contemporaneous MCN articles (approximately $2.2 million cost, $293,000–$300,000/yr savings); the record does not reconcile this discrepancy.
• The full content and commercial terms of the SA Power Networks Contract Agreement remain confidential; the record does not disclose the detailed contractual terms beyond the summarised Decision 1 of 12 December 2017.
• The outcome of the community consultation and options process for the remaining 478 ornamental lights (Option A vs Option B), and the final decision on which option Council will adopt, are not yet shown in the record as at the latest sources (August 2026).
• The precise date by which the full program (100% of scope) is expected to be completed is not stated; successive reports have repeatedly rescheduled the procurement process for the remaining ornamental lighting (April 2025, then September 2025, then February/March 2026).