Gingin, located 80km north of Perth, is seeking to protect its natural night skies from the increasing effects of light pollution.

This is part of an initiative established by the International Dark-Sky Association, which accredits communities, parks, and protected areas that preserve their dark skies through lighting policies and public education.

Laura Serrano Rodriguez, a UWA astrophysics master’s student said: “If you haven’t seen the night sky without light pollution, you are missing out on one of Mother Nature’s greatest shows. The more light polluted your sky is, the less bright stars seem.

“If you live in the middle of a very busy city like New York, Milan, or Hong Kong, you can see a couple of the brightest stars if you are lucky.

“If you live in a city like Perth, which is not too big and has relatively small light pollution in comparison, you can see the brightest constellations like Orion or the Southern Cross downtown.

“As you go to the outer suburbs, you slowly exit the light pollution central, thus decreasing the light pollution you see, allowing more stars to be seen the further you go.”

In Australia, six locations are already recognised for their dark skies:

1. Warrumbungle National Park, NSW – Dark Sky Park (2016)
2. The Jump-Up, QLD – Dark Sky Sanctuary (2019)
3. River Murray, SA – Dark Sky Reserve (2019)
4. Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary, SA – Dark Sky Sanctuary (2023)
5. Carrickalinga, SA – Dark Sky Community (2024)
6. Palm Beach Headland, NSW – Urban Night Sky Place (2024)

There are various categories of Dark Sky Places, each with different levels of protection based on the local environment.

Gingin is on track to becoming a Dark Sky Reserve, which features a dark “core” zone surrounded by a more populated outer region. The goal is to maintain darkness in the core while controlling light pollution in surrounding areas through policies and guidelines. For Gingin, the core would be the Gravity Discovery Centre and Observatory.

Richard Tonello, Head Astronomer at the GDC Observatory, said Gingin is a good candidate for this recognition for several reasons. First, the town is just an hour’s drive away from Perth CBD, making it an attractive location for visitors.

Despite its proximity to the city the skies are remarkably dark, “the Milky Way is easily visible to the naked eye,” Mr Tonello said.

Additionally, Gingin is a natural stop for travellers heading along the Indian Ocean Road and Brand Highway to northern destinations.

Mr Tonello said: “this has the potential to attract visitors and encourage them to stay awhile, to explore the region both day and night.”

In 2022, the GDC Observatory worked closely with the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage and the Western Australian Planning Commission to produce and publish the Dark Skies and astrotourism Position Statement.

“This document highlighted the importance of preserving and maintaining Dark Skies in rural areas, such as the Shire of Gingin, in accordance with Dark Sky International Principles,” Mr Tonello said.

The statement applies to planning proposals across Western Australia, guiding regional and local planning strategies, subdivisions, and new development proposals.

“The Position Statement is a planning tool used by Shire planning officers to mitigate any potential ‘over-lighting’ proposed by any new development,” Mr Tonello said.

While it does not apply retroactively to existing developments, the policy encourages local governments, private organisations, and residents to retrofit lighting to meet Australian standards for controlling light pollution.

This policy can also be used to guide individuals who are interested in achieving Dark Sky status in their local area.

Mr Tonello said achieving this status and maintaining it “will eventually come down to good planning, public education and approaching any new light sources within the Gingin Dark Sky Reserve as good neighbours to work together to keep the skies dark.”

Public awareness plays a key role in achieving Dark Sky Reserve status.

Mr Tonello strongly believes the public should be informed and educated about light pollution and ways to keep the night environment dark.

“These people also vote. So, hopefully through information, education and demonstration, the general public can approach their local government or state government representative to start effecting changes in street lighting policies,” he said.

Chris Tugwell, Chair of Mid Murray Landcare SA and the driving force behind the River Murray Dark Sky Reserve, shared one important aspect of pursuing this status.

“I think the most important thing firstly was to get the community support,” he said.

Mr Tugwell said they received over 100 support letters from community members, scientists, and state government representatives.

“It was the most support letters they’d ever received with any application, and that showed a really strong community backing for the concept.”

As Gingin moves closer to achieving Dark Sky Reserve status, it will be valuable to inspire the public to join in the effort to protect our night skies.