Mt Roland Laser Show- petition

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Mt Roland Laser Show- petition

Postby Drifting » Thu 19 Nov, 2015 8:32 pm

I'm not sure if folks caught the laser show on Mt Roland last week. Here's a link to an article about the laser show:

http://www.theadvocate.com.au/story/348 ... the-night/

I really like the part where the festival organizer brags that the laser they use can "burn a hole through a door" from a kilometre away.

I've done some calculations on the laser they are using, which is the most powerful laser you can buy. Using the wattage of the projector and American standards on laser use (The Australian standards are impossible to find freely on the net), this is the potential impact of the laser used. Bear in mind, this is only for a quick pass of the beam, not sustained use, and the restrictions relate to impact on human eyes, not on those of nocturnal animals.

Eye Hazard Distance 385m
Flashblind Hazard 1.8km
FAA Critical Flight Zone Exposure Distance <8km
FAA Laser Free Flight Zone Exposure Distance 81.9km
Skin Burn hazard 25m
Fire Hazard 17m

The laser was well inside of the first two distances when used on Mt Roland.

Kentish Council and National Parks are currently considering whether to allow further use of Mt Roland in this manner. A local high school student, who is also a wildlife carer, has started a petition opposing this, on the grounds that they laser they are using is hazardous to wildlife, and an admitted fire hazard. Here's a link to the petition:

https://www.change.org/p/kentish-counci ... unt-roland

I felt that as bushwalkers who value the natural values of undisturbed land, you'd like to lend a hand.

Cheers!
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Re: Mt Roland Laser Show- petition

Postby MrWalker » Fri 20 Nov, 2015 7:33 am

I had thought that this was a great way of getting people interested in Mt Roland without doing any physical damage to it at all. The bit about burning a hole through a door is irrelevant because that would require focusing on the door for some time and this laser is moving about rapidly.

How far away from the mountain is the laser? The Eye Hazard distance tells you how far you need to be to avoid eye damage. The Flashblind distance is how far you need to be to avoid getting temporarily affected. This is relevant to pilots who have lasers shone at them and may have trouble landing immediately afterwards, but is not a problem for animals on the mountain.
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Re: Mt Roland Laser Show- petition

Postby Nuts » Fri 20 Nov, 2015 9:42 am

Doesn't look like the signatories number is climbing despite the views. Thanks Drifting, I don't like petition generators, think the concerns sound like a bit of a grab bag(?) but signed anyway. How about a fund raiser to help maintain the tracks and develop walking/camping/nature based opportunities, not kitch. I'd swear, giving some envisaged group of people 'what they want' will lead to matchsticks and free fitting to eyelids. Pleanty of appropriate opportunities, I know they are unrelated to this event but the directive 'to contact local tourism operators' and help develop walking 'products' has not happened (for instance).
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Re: Mt Roland Laser Show- petition

Postby newhue » Sun 27 Dec, 2015 10:29 am

Just come across this, but I'm with the petition.
Forget the other listed potential side affects, what about plain out annoyance for the animals who occupy the mountain. Would an air balloon shooting the laser show over peoples houses and filmed by an eye in the sky, than projected onto large screens in a park be suitable for us must have all humans. Just food for thought. But I bet there would be an outcry of potential health issues, noise, invasion of privacy, safety, bla bla bla... but the animals who share this planet with us humans.....
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Re: Mt Roland Laser Show- petition

Postby Gadgetgeek » Sun 27 Dec, 2015 3:44 pm

Having experience with high power lighting systems (never used high end laser systems, just high wattage conventional lights) They will screw with wildlife. Some won't see the color at all, depending on what frequency the lights are, but many will see much more than just the moving dot, many animals, insects in particular are very sensitive to the high frequency flashing of many systems. We have pretty poor vision in that regard, anything above 60hz most people can't see, and very few discern anything above 120 (in fact a lot of people don't notice much over 30) At range, the laser is getting reflected off particles in the air, dust, fog, and the like, so you can imagine the whole world brightly flashing to some animals. Maybe it won't cause permanent harm, but there are too many factors to know. What happens to the bats who spend a night not able to fly? will it cause problems to animals who see polarized light?

I've also worked in events for long enough to know that very few people are actually experts on the equipment they use and operate. There could be a multitude of effects known to the manufacturer of the laser itself, but not to those who built the projection system, and the operators. And to be honest, to show folks, the show comes first. When you hit equipment at the levels of this thing, there are all manner of "unintended consequences" which is the polite way of saying, "we never bothered to find out" its an ask for forgiveness industry. People always ask "can we"and never ask, "should we".
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Re: Mt Roland Laser Show- petition

Postby stepbystep » Mon 28 Dec, 2015 5:29 am

I missed this, thanks Drifting. People are indeed a stain on the planet...

The petition is a bit wishy-washy. If anyone knows Zara I'd get her to refine the wording to specifically target the laser issue. Many people won't sign because the description is vague. It states "no development", I've advocated the use of the road at the Mt Claude end to enable those with disabilities to access the high places as a lookout, and also some mtn bike tracks lower down in the treeline. There are some other ideas floating about too...I won't share it while it's worded like that....
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Re: Mt Roland Laser Show- petition

Postby Drifting » Thu 31 Dec, 2015 8:48 am

stepbystep- I'll point that out to her- she's only a kid.

I agree Gadget- it all smacks of the "lets cut a tree down because we can" era.
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Re: Mt Roland Laser Show- petition

Postby Nuts » Sun 03 Jan, 2016 8:57 am

Drifting wrote:stepbystep- I'll point that out to her- she's only a kid.


It is also a conservation area, some good sounding suggestions but regardless a beautiful, hopeful thing from one of our next care takers. Leave as is? Let developers fight for and fret over every small change of vision?
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Re: Mt Roland Laser Show- petition

Postby newhue » Sun 03 Jan, 2016 5:37 pm

To true Nuts, but it's almost embarrassing a child makes a petition to protect what their parents should be jumping on. Developers will rape and pillage whatever is available if a dollar is to be made. And sadly many of us play our part counting our shares in superannuation because money talks. I singed the petition, but think I will spend the night drafting a letter to the local mayor.
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Re: Mt Roland Laser Show- petition

Postby Nuts » Mon 04 Jan, 2016 8:35 am

Parents may have encouraged her or signed up? Re managed investments though I would suspect there aren't many degrees of separation between some of the worst development, the developers, and the rest of us Tasmanians. Therein lies part of the problem. That and they can sound benign, half the people i would share with would need prompting to consider the consequences.

I guess the numbers are all that matter here but it's a sad day when reserved lands have to be subject to the warring green struggle with little respect for what they represent and as if this was an acceptable future. Which hints at another problem, Tourism (in all it's forms) and recreation being the go-to to replace other industries, there aren't many alternatives but it is not an ideal compromise, it's just yet another industry & money corrupts, so they tell me..
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Re: Mt Roland Laser Show- petition

Postby Drifting » Mon 04 Jan, 2016 1:49 pm

Nuts- she's my former student, who has approached me several times throughout the year requesting help with a range of environmental and wildlife issues she cares about. When school's back in, I can ask her to pop on here and discuss her p.o.v. with you and others, if you'd like. I imagine she'd be happy to do so.
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Re: Mt Roland Laser Show- petition

Postby Nuts » Sun 10 Jan, 2016 7:14 pm

I seem to recall a billboard advertising a petition to have this show?.. up against some strong opposition, or support.. at least?
To me it's a no-brainer, we've all seen what car headlights do without searing every dazed eyeball with a lazer!
Interesting post by Gadgetgeek. Are there more details about the effect on fauna for the extent and length of time etc? Lightening strikes but isn't prolonged. I'd be interested but then don't really need convincing. Perhaps the petition should be re-worded?, to leave room for a wider audience (as suggested).
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Re: Mt Roland Laser Show- petition

Postby Gadgetgeek » Sun 10 Jan, 2016 8:46 pm

Like I said, I know more about techs than I do about animals, but the guy plugging the stuff in isn't thinking about the wider effects, he cares about getting the show running so he gets paid. Its the nature (haha) of the business. I've done outdoor shows with big lights, and you move a lot of bugs around. Blast some music, and you can bet the bats are getting deafened just like everyone else.

I'm all for this being part of an event, but its got to have the go ahead from some actual biologists, and if it needs to be confined to a more suburban area, maybe that's needed. I also don't know the area there, if they are looking at shooting a massive exposed cliff face that is going to be above the normal altitude of the nocturnal critters, then that might be fine. Or if the overall timeframe is so limited that it won't pose a feeding hindrance, again, it might be okay. Lots of ways it could work, lots of ways it won't but the guy with the laser, and the guy selling tickets are the last ones who should be making that decision.
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Re: Mt Roland Laser Show- petition

Postby Nuts » Sun 10 Jan, 2016 8:59 pm

'Salesmen' are making those sorts of decisions for us, statewide.
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