Mobile phone towers under scrutiny

New legislation to give communities a greater say in where mobile phone towers are installed has been given notice of by Greens Leader Bob Brown in the Senate today.

“We’ve had some very frustrated people contact my office recently because mobile phone towers are going up in places they don’t think are appropriate, but they have nowhere to voice these concerns,” Senator Brown said.

“The current law allows telecommunication companies to install ‘low-impact’ mobile phone facilities without having to go through local or state government planning processes.

“Given the conflicting opinions about the possible health impacts of exposure to man-made electromagnetic fields, especially for children, we think it’s better to take a precautionary approach to the siting of these facilities.

“While the security and stability of our telecommunications network is important, so too is the community’s ability to voice concerns about infrastructure which may impact on their lives,” Senator Brown said.

The bill will be introduced into the Senate in September.