Tinderbox Residents Await Tower Decision

Tinderbox residents are awaiting Kingborough Council’s decision whether to reject a telecommunications tower proposed near homes and a nature reserve.

Residents had hoped Telstra’s development application for the 34.5 m tower at 487 Tinderbox Road West would be decided at last Monday’s Planning Authority meeting. The Council has requested an extension of time, however, to assess the large number of submissions opposing the tower.

The Council received almost 200 submissions from the public. All but three submissions opposed the tower.

“The strong level of objection sends a clear message to the Council, Telstra and the property owner at 487 Tinderbox Road how the community feels about this proposal,” said resident Mr Jason Whitehead. “The tower is close to homes, encroaches on the Tinderbox Nature Reserve and impacts on a number of values important to the community”.

The visual impact of the tower is one community concern, along with other issues relevant to the planning scheme upon which the development application will be assessed. Other pertinent issues, such as health risks, are also a concern, but under the planning scheme will not be considered.

“There are about 20 homes within 500 m of the proposed tower site”, said Mr Whitehead. “Residents are justified in their concerns about potential health risks given the lack of studies on the effects of long-term, low-level exposure to electromagnetic radiation”.

Telstra already has another site in Tinderbox to build the tower, which was approved by Council without objection. The approved site is not near homes, but has since been deemed unsatisfactory by Telstra due to the cost to install electricity. Telstra’s southern general manager, Noel Hunt, confirmed this in The Mercury 26 July “the site …had a very high cost associated with getting electricity to it”. Telstra have just posted a net profit of $3.2 billion for the year, to June 30, 2011. Tinderbox residents hold hope that Telstra will be a responsible corporate citizen and take note of community concerns.

The Tinderbox community will not sit idle whilst they wait for Kingborough Council to make a decision on the proposed tower.

“We will continue to raise awareness of the issues associated with the 487 Tinderbox Road tower proposal and increase awareness of other towers proposed in our municipality,” said Mr Whitehead.

Residents acknowledge the benefits provided by telecommunications technology, but encourage the community to become informed about potential health risks and other issues that may be associated with inappropriate siting of this infrastructure. Members of the Tinderbox community have developed a website to help inform the community of these issues: www.tinderboxtower.org