Shining a Light on Bass Coast’s Pedestrian Crossings

When Bass Coast Shire Council installed three new pedestrian crossings in the heart of Cowes, they took a proactive approach to safety by incorporating new lighting in the original design. This not only saved time and money, but ensured the new crossings were compliant with Australian Standards for pedestrian crossing lighting from the outset. Leadsun installed six PX2 compliant solar LED street lights across the three new crossings on Church and Chapel Streets, making Phillip Island’s busy commercial centre safer at night for both pedestrians and drivers. By choosing Leadsun solar-powered lighting, this project was able to be delivered fast and affordably, taking a fraction of the time it would usually take for a conventional grid-connected lighting system.

Client
Bass Coast Shire Council

Phillip Island is one of Victoria’s most popular coastal destinations, attracting millions of visitors each year with its beautiful beaches and wildlife, including the much-loved Phillip Island Penguin Parade. The township of Cowes is the island’s main commercial hub with a thriving Activity Centre located between Church and Chapel Streets, the two main throughfares.

In 2025 The Phillip Island & San Remo Advertiser reported that the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) had funded safety improvements for the area, including new pedestrian crossings and speed humps, “encouraging people to walk and freeing up car parking spaces”.

Three new wombat crossings (a raised pedestrian crossing designed to improve safety for pedestrians) were installed, as well as eight speed humps and one raised intersection with the aim of reducing vehicle speeds and increasing foot traffic.

The main Activity Centre is busy both day and night, with shops, restaurants, community facilities, accommodation and a sporting precinct drawing people to the area.

“All too often we find that pedestrian crossing lighting is only considered as an afterthought”, said Leadsun Business Development Manager Walter Terella. “But Bass Coast Shire Council were very proactive and recognised early on the need for good lighting. They appreciated the critical role visibility plays in pedestrian crossing safety, and they understood how crossings that help keep pedestrians safe during the day can inadvertently turn into black spots at night if drivers can’t see them or the people using them.”

“Having worked successfully with us on previous projects, Bass Coast Shire Council engaged the Leadsun team during the initial design phase to develop a pedestrian light crossing solution that would comply with strict PX2 Australian Standards for pedestrian crossing lighting.”

Overhead Shade and Underground Services

Overhead power lines and shading from nearby street trees meant that a conventional solar lighting system wouldn’t work. Leadsun’s Remote Energy Storage System (RESS), offered a viable alternative. The RESS works by separating the luminaires from the solar engine so that the solar panels can be optimally positioned for maximum solar gain. However, this solution also meant that an underground cable would be needed to connect each of the lights to the RESS. Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem, however site surveys of the Cowes Activity Centre revealed a complex network of underground services in the way.

PX2 Compliant Crossing Lighting Powered by the Sun

A total of six Leadsun AE6 solar street lights were installed across the three crossings on Church and Chapel Streets.

“Tree shade and overhead power lines made this a textbook RESS project,” said Mr Terella. “At each crossing we installed two lights, one on each of the approach sides to the crossing. Both lights are powered by a single AE6 solar engine carefully positioned away from overhead power lines and trees for optimal solar gain.”

“We also used extra-low voltage (ELV) underground cabling to connect the lights to the RESS. As well as being safer, trenches for ELV cabling don’t need to be as deep. This saves time and money, makes it easier to avoid underground services, and means we can generally use shorter trench runs. With site surveys revealing a complex network of underground services, this became a particularly important consideration.”

Working closely with the project’s Civil Contractor, underground services were located, verified and carefully mapped. Leadsun engineers then used this information to design cable routes for the new lights that avoided these services with additional clearance for added safety.

Fast, Affordable, Compliant Crossing Lighting for Cowes

Thanks to Leadsun’s new solar LED street lights, three of Phillip Island’s busiest pedestrian crossings are now much safer at night for both pedestrians and drivers.

The project demonstrates the benefits of a proactive approach to pedestrian crossing safety and compliance. Rather than waiting for visibility concerns to be raised by the community, or worse, reacting to accidents, Bass Coast Shire Council identified the need for lighting before the crossings were built.

“This project is a credit to Bass Coast Shire Council. By getting on the front foot and identifying the need for lighting early on, they were able to save time and money and maybe even lives as well,” said Mr Terella.
“Council understood that installing a crossing is only part of the solution. For a crossing to be safe, pedestrians need to be visible at all times, including at night. By incorporating PX2 compliant crossing lighting in the original design, Bass Coast Shire Council has created a safer environment for residents and visitors and saved time and money in the long run too.”

Delivered on time and on budget, the project is another good example of how solar powered pedestrian crossing lighting can help councils improve safety, achieve compliance and create more welcoming and walkable communities without the added cost and complexity associated with traditional grid powered lighting.