Rally to ban phone tower

WRONG SPOT: Mullumbimby residents Adam Boyd and Samaya Nichols Askill say a proposed 20-metre Optus phone tower on the hill behind their properties could pose serious health risks.

Kate O’Neill

Poll

Do you oppose the phone tower?

This poll ended on 30 November 2009.

Yes

27%

No

72%

This is not a scientific poll. The results reflect only the opinions of those who chose to participate.

OPPONENTS of a proposed 20-metre high telecommunications tower at Mullumbimby say it could put nearby residents and school children at risk of cancer and brain tumours.

Optus has submitted plans to Byron Shire Council to build the tower on Coolamon Scenic Drive, in a location that will overlook a residential area and St John's Primary School.

Laurel Avenue resident Adam Boyd said it would be within 200 metres of households and 300 metres of the school, which many residents believed was an unacceptable safety buffer.

“People will be exposed to unacceptable levels of radio frequency emissions,” he said.

Mr Boyd said an increasing amount of evidence indicated the towers could be harmful to human health.

“The telecommunications industry has always had a fight on its hands to convince people that the towers are safe,” he said.

“People just don't believe it.

“It's like tobacco companies trying to say tobacco isn't harmful.”

Mr Boyd said the fact that there was reasonable doubt should be enough for planning authorities to take a precautionary approach and to ban the towers within residential areas.

Mother of two Samaya Nichols Askill said she was concerned about the impact it may have on the health of children at the primary school and of her own children, aged eight and five

She has written to the Federal Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, to find out what the standards are in relation to the proximity of towers to schools.

Mr Boyd said residents were also worried about the 'enormous negative visual impact' of the tower and were angry about the lack of consultation.

He said they were initially given just two weeks to make submissions on the proposal, although Byron Shire Council has since agreed to extend the submission period by two weeks for affected residents.

Optus representatives have also agreed to meet with concerned residents next week.

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