THE Surf Coast Shire has approved a telecommunications tower at Quay Reserve despite numerous objections from locals.<\/p>\n
The planning permit received 97 objections, and a handful of community members who opposed the tower\u2019s construction in Torquay North attended the September 24 council meeting at which the plan was approved.<\/p>\n
Their main fears revolve around the perceived health risks of 5G.<\/p>\n
The 4G tower, which will be built in place of one of the existing light poles, could potentially accommodate 5G in the future.<\/p>\n
Cr Brian McKiterick was the only councillor to oppose the bill. He said the tower\u2019s position was no better than that of the proposal the council rejected in February.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have grave concerns about this tower. Moving it 70 metres so that it\u2019s on the corner of the Quay Boulevard and Horseshoe Bend Road where there\u2019s still homes, there\u2019s still the visual issue, it\u2019s a public place where people play football.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve gone to other towers and you can hear it humming. I\u2019m sure that humming will be heard by residents in The Quay. What\u2019s happened between February and now, I don\u2019t think anything\u2019s changed in reality.\u201d<\/p>\n
As shire officers pointed out to objectors, rejecting the planning permit on the grounds of health risks is outside the council\u2019s jurisdiction. Such matters are instead dealt with by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).<\/p>\n
Cr Martin Duke said this had been emphasised with other councils.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have gone to VCAT before and all been knocked back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Earlier this year the Town of Victoria Park Council in Western Australia rejected a similar tower, largely because of concerns about its impact on people\u2019s health.<\/p>\n
Town of Victoria Park mayor Trevor Vaughan, who supported the planning application, noted the applicant could simply appeal to the State Administrative Tribunal to overrule the decision.<\/p>\n
The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) says there are no legitimate studies that show 5G to be harmful.<\/p>\n
\u201cContrary to some claims, there are no established health effects from the radio waves that the 5G network uses.<\/p>\n
\u201cARPANSA and the World Health Organisation are not aware of any well-conducted scientific investigations where health symptoms were confirmed as a result of radio wave exposure in the everyday environment.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE Surf Coast Shire has approved a telecommunications tower at Quay Reserve despite numerous objections from locals. The planning permit received 97 objections, and a handful of community members who opposed the tower\u2019s construction in Torquay North attended the September 24 council meeting at which the plan was approved. Their main fears revolve around the […]<\/p>\n