Kiwi Observatory owner Robert McTague says the lights have made "a real difference" in Geraldine when it came to reducing light pollution, and he is sure the same thing will happen in Timaru.

The owners of Timaru's observatory are hoping people will soon have a clearer view of the night sky, with a third of the council's LED lighting project now complete.

The LED rollout for South Canterbury has been accelerated this year, after $1.1m was put towards the project by the Government.

A council spokesman said more than 800 lamps out of 2126 had been installed, and the council was on track to finish all the work in the district by the end of the year .

Kiwi Observatory co-owner Robert McTague said the observatory has long had issues with two of the older-style streetlights on Kiwi St, with light pollution affecting the view.

READ MORE:

* Million dollar lightbulb moment

* Street light fittings to become LED in Mackenzie district

"[They are] causing a lot of problems."

The Timaru District Council initially told the observatory the new lights would be put in in July, but they had not been installed yet, McTague said.

He was hopeful when the new LED lights were put in on his street, they would also be shielded, because the position of the observatory meant it might still be affected by the light .

However the lights had made "a real difference" in Geraldine when it came to reducing light pollution, and he was sure the same thing would happen in Timaru, giving people a clearer view of the stars.

"LED lights will help," McTague said.

The observatory was used by schools and community groups, and changing the lighting would lead to an enhanced experience for those groups.

The 2126 new LED lights will cover the majority of local streets in the district, with the exception of main roads and state highways.

Work on installing the LED lights in Geraldine and Temuka is already complete, with work in the southern part of Timaru almost finished as well.

Three hundred and seventy-five lights were installed in Temuka in 2016.

A council spokesman said the total project cost in South Canterbury was nearly $1.7m, with the council contributing $242,200.

LED lights can last for up to 25 years before needing replacement.