Push is on for tower

By Tania Martin
A HILLS environmentalist has accused Telstra of trying to fly under the radar to push forward with the installation of a Mt Evelyn telecommunications tower.
Mt Evelyn Environment Protection and Progress Association’s (MEEPA) Franc Smith, at a meeting last Tuesday 23 June, told the Shire of Yarra Ranges that Telstra had failed to consult the community
But Telstra spokesman Paul Crisp said the company had conducted adequate consultation with the council.
The project was approved by shire officers without going before the council.
Council director of planning building and health James Lamour-Reid last week defended the move not to bring the proposed tower before the council.
He said Telstra was relying on compliance under state rules which didn’t require a planning permit.
Mr Lamour-Reid as the proposal was to replace an existing structure, a permit was not needed.
But Mr Smith said it was not an existing structure.
“It’s the view of the planning department that this proposed tower doesn’t require a permit,” Mr Lamour-Reid said.
Mr Crisp said the project involved swapping an existing 27-metre lattice mast on the roof of a school building at Pembroke College, Old Hereford Road, Mt Evelyn.
He said the project complied with section 5.7 of the telecommunications code of conduct and didn’t require a planning permit.
But Mr Smith said it was also concerning that the tower would be put in an educational precinct.
He said research had proven that there were significant health risks associated with telecommunication towers such as this one.
Mr Crisp said Telstra acknowledged that some people were genuinely concerned about possible health risks from mobile phone base stations and was committed to addressing these issues.
He said Telstra’s actions were in keeping with advice from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Mr Crisp said the WHO had released a statement that recent surveys had indicated that exposures from base stations and wireless technologies in publicly accessible areas including schools and hospitals were normally thousands of times below international standards.
“Our proposed facility at Mt Evelyn is compliant by a very substantial margin, and our existing facilities are operated safely, legally and responsibly at power levels significantly below scientifically-mandated safety limits,” he said.
At the meeting last week, Billanook Ward Cr Tim Heenan moved a motion to call for Telstra to stop work on the project until further community consultation had been undertaken.
Cr Heenan said it was a huge concern that the community had not been consulted.
“I don’t think this is needed and I would like to say to Telstra that you need to sit down before you go a step further, and consult with the relevant people,” he said.
But Mr Crisp said the telco had already consulted with the council.
He said the fact that the councillors were aware that the project was underway meant the consultation process was effective.
Chandler Ward’s Cr Graham Warren said the council had received several similar applications for towers and that each time the consultation had been ‘absolutely awful’.
“It’s a toss-up between Telstra and VicRoads who is worse … they have to get their heads around the fact that they have to start talking to people and stop trying to railroad them at every opportunity.”