WACA Ground light towers to be upgraded to coloured LED

The light towers of Perth's historic WACA Ground are set to be upgraded with new LED coloured lights, to ensure the venue meets the International Cricket Council's (ICC) light standards for hosting international cricket, sporting and entertainment events.

The new lights will be able to coordinate with the colours of Optus Stadium and the Matagarup Bridge for special events.

The upgrade is part of the next stage of the WACA Ground Improvement Project (WGIP), which is being jointly funded by the Australian Government, Western Australian Government, City of Perth, WA Cricket and Cricket Australia through the $1.6 billion Perth City Deal.

The current light towers were added to the WACA Ground in 1986 and stand at around 70 metres high with each tower supporting an average of 136 light fittings.

The upgrade requires the 17-metre-high steel headframes to be taken down and transported off-site.

All headframes will be dismantled into three sections, lowered to the ground, then transported to a specialist metal fabrication facility to strengthen and repaint the frames.

The new light luminaires and coloured unibars will then be installed in the headframes at ground level at the WACA Ground before being replaced to the top of each tower.

The demolition of one light tower (light tower 2 by Gate 2) is required to enable the construction of the high-performance centre.

These works are due to be completed before the start of the 2022-23 cricket season and prior to significant works under the WGIP Main Works contract.

Western Australian Minister for Sport and Recreation, David Templeman enthused "this is a fantastic project that will allow the WACA to shine in a way it never has before.

"It will help unify it with our other fantastic sporting facilities and icons, and ensure that the facility can continue to host world-class events into the future."

Perth Lord Mayor, Basil Zempilas adds "the WACA not only brings local communities together, but also attracts people nationwide to come experience what this beautiful city has to offer.

"This is a key example of how the Perth City Deal, a proud partnership of all three levels of government, is delivering the projects Perth needs to grow and thrive - and the new WACA coloured lights fit perfectly with the City of Perth's new City of Light brand."

WA Cricket Chief Executive, Christina Matthews notes "the upgrade to LED lights is required to ensure the WACA Ground meets the International Cricket Council's (ICC) light standards and we can continue to host world-class cricket, sporting and entertainment events.

"It's an investment that will significantly reduce the running costs of the lights and extend the life of these towers by 25 years."