The Independent Member for Denison, Andrew Wilkie, has acted to give the community a greater say on the building of mobile phone towers.
Mr Wilkie today formally gave notice to Federal Parliament of his Private Members Bill for an Act to enhance community consultation in relation to the development of telecommunications facilities.
“I think the telecommunications industry has too much autonomy when siting and constructing mobile phone towers with the result that legitimate community concerns are often not addressed,’’ he said.
“That’s why I am looking to amend the Telecommunications Act.
“The proposed Optus tower in Sandy Bay is a good example of the problem and need for legislative reform.
“Members of the community should not have to hold public rallies and lobby politicians just to be heard.’’
Mr Wilkie’s Telecommunications Amendment (Enhancing Community Consultation) Bill 2011 would give people within a 500m radius of proposed towers the right to lodge a complaint, extend the objection period from 10 to 30 business days and require poles and aerials to be viewed holistically when assessed.
Andrew Wilkie presents the inaugural Tasmanian Times Lecture, HERE
• Senator Bob Brown, Greens Leader:
Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown will tomorrow introduce the Telecommunications (Mobile Phone Towers) Bill 2011 into the Senate, to better protect communities.
The wording is still being finalising, but essentially the Bill would:
• Require all facilities that emit electromagnetic radiation are subject to state and territory or local government planning laws.
• Provide for landholder and occupiers with 500m of a facility being required to be notified of and consulted in relation to facilities.
• Insert a requirement for ACMA to take into account the precautionary principle
• Extend appeal rights to where ACMA allows a facility installation permit.
• Provide for a review of the ARPANSA electromagnetic emissions standards every 5 years.
• First published: 2011-09-13 05:12 AM
• Monday, September 19: Bill tabled
The Independent Member for Denison, Andrew Wilkie, has now tabled his Telecommunications Amendment (Enhancing Community Consultation) Bill 2011 which will give the community a greater say on the building of mobile phone towers.
The Private Member’s Bill would make several changes to the Telecommunications Act, including limiting telcos using the “low impact’’ category to avoid state and local planning laws.
It would also provide for mandatory consultation with people living within 500m of proposed towers, extend the objection period from 10 to 30 business days and give the community the right of access to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
In a speech to the House of Representatives this morning, Mr Wilkie said that across Australia communities were finding themselves in a position where they had no place to turn.
“A case in point is Optus’s proposal to build a tower on top of my local Woolworths in Sandy Bay,’’ he said. “Originally it was declared by the carrier to be a low-impact facility, even though it would literally tower over a heritage neighbourhood and be an eyesore from nearby historic Battery Point. Yes, community pressure seems to have forced Optus to re-categorise the development as high-impact and now the Hobart City Council is considering the proposal. But the community should have been spared the heartache in the first place and there is still no certainty ACMA won’t just ride in at the eleventh hour and issue a permit, regardless of the Council’s determination.
“Mr Deputy Speaker, this example is just one of the many reasons I’m very pleased to present this Bill to the House. For too long, communities have been unable to have a say in where new towers spring up in their area. The playing field has been skewed towards the commercial self-interest of the telecommunications companies.
“I understand that there must be a fundamental balance in this debate between the public interest in having fast and reliable mobile communications on one hand, and the public interest in not having inappropriate and hastily planned developments springing up all around our communities on the other. But for too long this balance has been skewed in favour of telecommunications companies, who under the current legislation have a carte blanche to place new telecommunications facilities essentially wherever they please.
“I’ve had people from around the country call my office complaining about the sense of hopelessness they feel when they are informed, if indeed they are informed at all, that a significant development will happen right next to their house and that there is next to nothing they can do about it. Some communities have fought these developments and some of them have been successful. Many more have failed, though not through want of time and effort. The consistent message I get from those who have succeeded is “it shouldn’t be this difficult’’.
“Mr Deputy Speaker I agree with those communities. It should not require public protests, it should not require lobbying politicians and courting media to get some kind of say about a development happening in your own backyard.’’
Mr Wilkie expects the Bill to be debated next month.
