Te Aroha's new lantern‑style streetlight fittings have arrived. Over the next couple of months, you will start to see the new lamps roll out on the main street first, followed by Coulter Bridge.

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.   

You may have also noticed some of the poles from Coulter Bridge have been removed, with road cones popped in their place. They are being temporarily removed a few at a time, to be painted off-site.  

By the end of June, the bridge and main street will have a cohesive look and feel, with dark green poles and lantern-style streetlight fittings.

We secured grant funding for this project. Over time, several streetlights have lost their lamp fixtures or broken, and the old fittings can't be repaired or replaced because they're no longer made.

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.