Te Aroha's new lantern‑style streetlights will start going up next week and will be rolled out in stages over the next couple of months. 

We’ll begin on the main street, where the new light fittings will be installed first.  

Back in February, we asked the community to vote on the colour of the poles and lanterns – blue or dark green. Green was the clear favourite, We had over 550 responses, with 347 in favour of green and 206 in favour of blue.  

Painting will happen once all the new fittings are in place. In the meantime, there’ll be an awkward “in‑between haircut” phase, with the new green lanterns sitting on the existing blue poles that haven’t been repainted yet. Rest assured, this edgy multi-coloured moment is just a phase.  

The bridge poles will be removed and painted off-site, then put back once they’re ready. By the end of June, the bridge and main street will have a consistent look and feel. 

Thanks for bearing with us while the finishing touches come together. Stay tuned for the final reveal.

To read more about this project, visit Lighting up Te Aroha's charm.