Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been asked to intervene on compassionate grounds to stop a mini mobile phone base station being placed next to homes in Caringbah South.
Several residents with serious health problems, as well as young families, live close to the site at 59 Castlenau Street, where Telstra proposes to install the facility on the top of a power pole.
One resident has had had extensive chemotherapy during four bouts with cancer, while another suffers inherited cardiovascular disease, has had a quadruple bypass and suffers multiple skin cancers.
Sutherland Shire Council resolved to ask Telstra to reconsider the location and to ask Mr Morrison, as the MP for Cook, “to intervene on compassionate grounds to encourage Telstra and its contractors to actively seek an alternative non-intrusive and less sensitive location”.
Cr Barry Collier raised the matter after delivering representations from residents to Mr Morrison’s electorate office in Cronulla.
Cr Collier said residents were notified of the proposal in late September, but their concerns had been ignored by the Telstra contractor, the federal Minister for Communications, Senator Mitch Fifield, and Mr Morrison.
He said Mr Morrison needed to attend to the needs of his constituents as well as his wider responsibilities.
Mayor Carmelo Pesce denied Mr Morrison was ignoring residents, saying he had discussed the matter with the Prime Minister and his electoral staff.
Telstra advised residents on November 15 the installation would go ahead, but has now indicated a final decision has not been made.
A spokesman told the Leader the telco was “in the initial stages of designing a 4G small cell in Caringbah South”.
“If the installation proceeds, it will help to alleviate local network congestion due to the growth in data consumption across social media and video streaming,” he said.
“A small cell is a miniature version of a standard mobile base station and Telstra uses them to boost coverage and capacity in areas where a full-sized base station would not be feasible.
“ We are continuing our engagement with the local community to answer any questions and concerns residents may have.”
A similar facility proposed last year by Vodafone in Ellesmere Road, Gymea, was relocated after Leader reports and council opposition.
The council resolved to tell Telstra the concerns of Caringbah South residents included:
- Electro-magnetic emissions in close proximity to residential living and sleeping areas in nearby homes;
- The visual impact of the proposed pole-top antennae and ground level equipment shelter;
- Adverse impact on residential property values.
A resident, who asked for her name to be wittheld, cited several studies that support residents’ concerns about electro-magnetic emissions.
She said the telco’s so-called community consultation process had been “farcical”, as it had been in other areas.
“Telstra unsympathetically trod on the genuine concerns of the local community here where there is chronic illness in the immediate vicinity of the proposed infrastructure, and beyond,” she said.
“The initial correspondence advising of Telstra’s proposal was only sent to residents in one third of Castlenau Street, when the ‘area of influence’ is a 360 degree radius for 500 metres, means the microwave radiation envelopes unsuspecting families.”
