Tweet

With the opening of a new pump track, the city of Hervey Bay in Queensland, Australia, is strengthening its leisure infrastructure and setting new standards in terms of sustainability.

The track has a specially optimised LED lighting solution from the South Tyrolean manufacturer ewo, which meets high standards in terms of lighting quality, environmental protection and neighbourhood compatibility.

The luminaires used are Dark Sky-certified and ensure targeted, glare-free illumination without spill light. The project thus combines functional sports lighting with the aim of harmonizing ecological and social conditions.

Australia’s east coast focuses on sport, community and Dark Sky-compliant lighting

In the Australian state of Queensland, around 300 kilometres north of Brisbane, the city of Hervey Bay opened a new pump track in summer 2024, setting an example for sustainable urban development and sporting quality of life. The pump track is part of a comprehensive leisure concept by the local authority Fraser Coast Regional Council. The track is a modulated, dynamically curved asphalt track that can be used by riders of all levels of experience and age on mountain bikes, BMX bikes or scooters.

The entire facility invites you to linger, and there are picnic shelters, a barbecue area, bike racks and shady trees for families and groups. Thanks to a technically sophisticated lighting solution from the South Tyrolean lighting manufacturer ewo, the facility can also be used safely and comfortably in the evening hours – while at the same time protecting residents, the night sky and the environment.

Sport, safety and lighting quality in harmony

Located in the middle of a quiet neighbourhood surrounded by residential buildings, the planners and lighting technicians had to meet several requirements at the same time: The pump track also had to be optimally usable after sunset without disturbing the neighbourhood with disturbing light. In addition, the installation had to fulfil the strict Dark Sky requirements in order to keep the night sky dark, which made it necessary to align the luminaires completely horizontally.

Together with the project team from Webb Australia (electrical planning) and the channel partner Light and Design Group, ewo developed a customised solution with a focus on visual comfort, efficiency and precise light control. Eight high-performance R-System R2 gen4 floodlights were used, fitted with highly asymmetrical lens systems to ensure homogeneous illumination of the entire area at low mast heights and without spill light above the horizontal.

The luminaires were also equipped with integrated anti-glare elements to completely shield the surrounding buildings from stray light. This achieves an optimum synthesis of the needs of the athletes, the neighbourhood and environmental protection.

Technical precision for demanding conditions

The luminaires were mounted horizontally at a height of just twelve metres – a comparatively low mounting height for large floodlights, which required particularly targeted light distribution. Three optimised lens optics with highly asymmetrical light distributions direct the light specifically to the front right, front left or both sides to the front – depending on the mounting position of the luminaire. This means that only the surface of the track is illuminated, while the lighting decreases sharply at the edges with a gentle transition.

To ensure complete protection of the surroundings from stray light, ewo Light Layers were also installed, internal anti-glare elements that completely shield the luminaires, particularly towards the rear. One advantage of this internal solution is that no external anti-glare elements need to be fitted to the luminaire, which would increase the area exposed to wind, which is particularly relevant for an installation near the coast.

To ensure the longevity of the luminaires in the salty air, ewo uses ‘marine grade’ aluminium (a special alloy with a copper content of less than 0.1%). This ensures particularly high corrosion resistance. The R-System R2 gen4 floodlights have also been officially certified as ‘DarkSky Approved’ by DarkSky International. This means that the Hervey Bay system combines large-area LED lighting with active protection of the night sky.

“empowering wellbeing outdoors” – light as part of social responsibility

‘We believe in the transformative power of light to promote wellbeing outdoors,’ says Hannes Wohlgemuth, CEO of ewo.

“Our sports lighting solutions enable people to move, meet, exercise and stay healthy safely even after sunset – regardless of the time of day or season. At the same time, it is particularly important to us not to harm the environment or the neighbourhood. The fact that our high-performance floodlights for large areas have been certified as “DarkSky Approved” is an important milestone and an expression of our philosophy of “empowering wellbeing outdoors”.”

The Hervey Bay Pumptrack facility shows how sport, technology and sustainability can be harmonised – an example of modern infrastructure that gets people moving while respecting their environment.