Big questions about which parks to light, and which parks to keep in the dark.

Lighting is being removed from an isolated and bushy part of Western Park in the Auckland suburb of Ponsonby to prevent people from visiting it at night.

That's sparked a national debate about whether some parts of some parks should be left in the dark.

Michael Wood from Auckland's Puketapapa Local Board says lighting can improve safety in small grassy parks close to homes and busy roads.

But he says there are some bush paths and isolated areas shouldn't be as accessible at night.

He says in those cases adequate surveillance may not be possible, and lighting may allow people to go where they shouldn't go.

Michael Wood says it isn't possible to provide adequate lighting and surveillance to all reserve land.

He say some reserves shouldn't be used at night, but parks are safer when more people use them, live near them and drive past them.

He says lighting isn't as practical for every isolated area or bush path.

Local board defends decision

Waitemata Local Board is standing by a decision to remove lights from the bushy area in Western Park.

Board member Vernon Tava says there shouldn't be lights in the area, because it's isolated and dangerous at night.

He says removing the lights will make it less accessible at night.

He says keeping an area well-lit suggests that someone is able to watch and respond if something happens, even when that isn't the case.

There's also a promise of more lights and surveillance, from the local board responsible for Auckland's green belt.

Vernon Tava says they're keeping lighting in the rest of the park.

He says in other parks in the central city they're also putting in more lighting, stronger lighting and CCTV.