No signal on Bellbrae mobile tower proposal

A PLAN to build a mobile phone tower on the grounds of Bellbrae’s cemetery appears to have stalled.

First proposed by Telstra more than 16 months ago, a planning application for the 35-metre monopole at 65 School Road (at the cemetery’s south-east corner, fronting Cemetery Road and across from the tennis courts) lapsed in May last year.

The telco was undeterred and ran community consultation in July on the project, but last month, a Surf Coast Shire spokesperson said the shire had not received a new application to build a tower in the Bellbrae Cemetery.

If the shire did receive one, the spokesperson said, there would be a formal notification through the shire’s planning process.

During its most recent community consultation, Telstra said it had identified a need to improve mobile service for its customers near Bellbrae’s town centre.

The telco said the proposed facility was required to “meet increased demand placed on the network, accommodate growth in our customer base, and improve and maintain local mobile network services, including voice calling, SMS video calling, internet browsing, and streaming video-based content”.

“Council made a request for further information in September 2020 to determine a number of matters and to enable proper assessment of the application,” Surf Coast general manager of environment and development Ransce Salan said last year.

“The applicant requested an extension of time to provide an appropriate response.

“A series of extensions were granted, until May 17, 2021, when no further information or request was submitted in time and the application lapsed under Section 54A of the Planning and Environment Act.”

Telstra had not responded to questions by the time this newspaper went to press.