Helensburgh tip tower mobilises residents
Halls Road residents are alarmed at the prospect of a 30m mobile phone tower being erected close to their homes.
Telstra Mobile Network Services proposes installing the sumline monopole adjacent to the front gates of the Helensburgh Tip, in Nixon Place.
The tower will host 3G technology which will allow videos to be played on mobile phones.
Submissions closed on 26 October and a Wollongong City Council spokesman said 19 objections had been received.
“It’s still under assessment,” he said.
The Reynolds and Davenport families lobbied neighbours to lodge objections with council, claiming the tower would cause risks and inconvenience to local residents.
In a letter to residents, they said the tower could cause potential health threats from radiation, could interfere with television and satellite reception and lower house values, particularly those closest to the tower.
“It seems ridiculous to us that Telstra and Wollongong Council would consider allowing the tower to be located so close to houses and directly next to one of its own public parks, Proud Park,” they wrote.
Geoff Reynolds told the Helensburgh & District News the tower could have been sited further aways from residential areas.
“Why didn’t they locate it away from people?” he asked. “There’s plenty of land around here but it’s all environmental protection so it probably would have been more complicated due to planning regulations.
“It would have been more effort and more trouble. It all comes down to money.”
His wife Suzanne said the site report by consultants urbis JHD listed a number of other potential sites which were all dismissed due to their proximity to houses.
“The report said the site was surrounded by a variety of warehousing and manufacturing businesses ... where are they?” Suzanne said.
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Tower sparks health fears
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“It’s as if we don’t exist,” Suzanne said.
The Kemp family at 45 Halls Road submitted an objection to council, saying: “Should this proposal proceed, the families in Nixon Place, Gardiner Place and Halls Road would be subjected to uncontrolled exposure to microwave radiation and serious health threats.
“Until more is known, every possible precaution against radiation dangers should be taken and we rely upon our elected representatives and their administration to take the action necessary to protect our health and reject this application.”
A Telstra spokesman said the health issues associated with mobile phone towers were unproven.
“After 50 years of scientific research, there is no substantial evidence of the health effects of mobile phone towers,” he said. “TV and radio signals have higher EMEs (electromagnetic emissions).”
It is understood Wollongong Council will host an informal planning conference to discuss the tower on 13 December.
