Georges River Council will write to the federal government requesting an immediate investigation into a number of matters surrounding the installation of a mobile phone base station at Redin Place Reserve at Connells Point.
The council will ask the government to investigate the classification of the base station facility as ‘low impact’ under the Telecommunications Act, and whether this classification is legally correct, given the size of the facility.
And the council will also request a reduction in the radio frequency signal strength of the mobile phone base station from more than three-per cent to one-per cent or less.
The radio frequency of the mobile phone base station will be up to 3.98 per cent of Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) exposure limits.
For the past two years Connells Point Residents Action Group have opposed the installation of the telecommunications tower by CPS Global, the agents for Optus and Vodafone in Redin Place Reserve.
Most of their battle was carried out while the council was under administration and the residents are now asking their newly-elected councillors to help them.
They are angry that the telco stated it was an “exempt development” under state policy because it was described as “low impact” which allowed it to be able to lease part of the reserve for the installation of the tower.
The council will also write to the state government asking for an investigation into the tower’s classification as “exempt development” under the State Environmental Planning Policy.
Connells Point Residents Association member Bob Wood, who lives next to the tower, said its “exempt development” status had robbed residents of any legal right to reject their application.
“CPS Global divided the application into two parts, fudging their way through the approval process by separating the development applications for the pole and the antennas to gain low impact facility and exempt development status,” he said.
Vodafone said the site is designed to comply with the Electromagnetic Energy (EME) exposure limits set in place by the Australia Government, and backed by the World Health Organisation (WHO),
But residents say the strength of the electro-magnetic radiation (EMR) is too high for residents living nearby.
“The facility will produce electromagnetic radiation on a 24-hour, seven days a week basis,” Mr Wood said.
“The duration of exposure is an important factor. Age and overall health of people being exposed can also be an important factor.
“It is clearly not yet known what truly safe levels of exposure are,” he said.
“The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman and (the former) Kogarah Council have stated that this is not a Low Impact Facility. The antenna will have a signal strength reaching to Kangaroo Point, Blakehurst, Kyle Bay, Oatley shopping centre, South Hurstville and Hurstville Grove.
“It has been correctly pointed out that the installed facility was at 3.98 per cent of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) level.
“It is at 3.98 per cent however that mobile phone base stations are usually found away from residential areas and at a far lower percentage than this figure.
“In China, Russia, Italy, Switzerland and other countries the percentage is limited to one per cent.”
Mr Wood said the telco’s self-assessment of the facility as “low impact” was ridiculous given the scale of the development.
He said the approval process clearly needs to be revisited fully with a view to rescind the rental agreement.
“A low impact facility means it must have minimal visual impact,” he said.
“The mobile phone base station including a 3.5 metre multi-panel antenna system is located on top of a 12-metre electricity pole.”
The residents described it as unsightly and visible for a radius of 800-metres.
In May, the telco told the council it had amended the design of the mobile phone base station to comply with the requirements of a low impact facility.
Residents said the only amendment was to reduce the size of the concrete pad on which the equipment stands by 325mm.
“We have held significant concerns regarding the manner in which the telecommunications carriers self-assessed the mobile phone base station that has now been constructed,” fellow Connells Point Residents Action Group member Janis Wood told the council.
“The facility towers over the two-storey homes, dominates the streetscape, and destroys the amenity of the era and the physical environment in which we live.
“It is 15-metres from residents’ homes and is highly visible from bedrooms and living areas of many homes.
“The telco’s proposal stated the site was required to provide phone coverage and data to the Connells Point area. It did not state it would provide coverage to seven suburbs including areas in Sutherland Shire.
“The strength of the electro-magnetic radiation 24/7 is too high for residents living nearby.”
Resident Ian Barter lives on the corner of Redin Place and Connells Point Road with his wife and two young sons.
“We live in the shadow of this monstrosity which sits less than 10-metres from our front yard and is visible from nearly every room in the house,” he said.
“You could not stand in my front yard, or any of my neighbours, and look at this structure and argue with a straight face it is low impact.
“Given this was granted on the basis that the installation was low impact, which the council have since determined it is not, I would assume council would have ample justification to withdraw the licence on the basis that it was misled.”
A Vodafone spokesperson said the installation follows extended consultation with the community, council and relevant government bodies, and meets all standards and requirements under the Telecommunications Act.
“Vodafone takes a range of factors into consideration before selecting a site for a new mobile tower, including the proximity to local residences and businesses, any potential environmental impact, and whether that site is the best location to provide mobile services to our local customers,” the Vodafone spokesperson said.
“We investigated a number of alternative locations in the area and the site at Redin Place Reserve was found to be the most suitable location to deliver the coverage needed in the area.
“Topography in Connells Point meant there were limited options for placement of this site which would meet customer demand for services.
“We are committed to expanding the Vodafone mobile network and its capacity to accommodate customers’ growing demands for data and voice services. In the course of this expansion, new sites will continue to be installed across the Sydney metro area and will be designed on a case-by-case basis.
“There are strict regulatory requirements and health standards all telecommunications operators must adhere to in relation to the design, siting and operation of mobile facilities. We are complying with all our obligations.”
