30/04/2008 at 22:57:50
Hello New Zealand - Kia ora Aotearoa!
We need your help to sign this petition. You may download the petition and collect signatures in your neighborhood or go to one of the places near you to sign one. You can also print several petitions and drop them for people to sign in a place near where you live. Just let everyone know where they are by writing a comment in this blog or by sending us message.
Dont' forget to send the petition back to us when completed at the address shown on the bottom of the petition.
We can all stop this now !
List of sites where the petitions can be signed
You may want to let us know what you think :
Read more.
Phone masts warning
Nelson Mail. 29/04/2008
Sir,
I join P Fidler’s and A Lees’s concerns (Mailbox, April 23) at Telecom’s plans to erect a mobile mast at Corder Park, and offer the recent news of
Taiwan’s plans to dismantle 1500 mobile phone masts by the end of 2008 amid fears that radiation from them may damage health. Studies have revealed worrying levels of symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, nausea and dizziness in people living near masts. Researchers from Sweden - Dr Lennart Hardell of the University Hospital in Orebro, and Professor
Kjell Mild of Umea University - have analysed 11 major studies carried out around the world and concluded that there is clear evidence that those who have used their phones for at least a decade are 20 percent more likely to develop neuromas and 30 percent more likely to develop malignant gliomas, say published results in the journal Occupational Environmental Medicine.
Telecoms’s "business plan" threatens Nelsons health and beauty. Taiwans common sense should be heeded immediately.
C JORDAN
Tahurianui, April 25.
See page from Nelson Mail 29/04/2008
Original Pdf
25/04/2008 at 15:01:11
The Green Party is calling on Telecom to listen to the concerns of local parents and withdraw its proposal to build a 22 metre high cellphone tower only metres from the Atawhai Playcentre.
Given the ongoing concerns about the health effects of cell towers, I cannot understand why Telecom would consider building a 22 metre tower right next to a Playcentre
, Health Spokesperson Sue Kedgley says.
Nor can I understand why Nelson City Council would allow this, rather than take a precautionary approach, and restrict the construction of cell towers next to schools and pre-schools
,Ms Kedgley says.
Read more.
24/04/2008 at 21:47:59
Telecom’s Atawhai tower
source: Nelson MailSir, Telecom intends to put up a 22m mobile phone mast at its exchange site at Corder Park, Atawhai. It will be the first thing locals (and visitors) will see when entering Nelson. It will be widely visible from many parts of town, especially Dodson Valley with all its new subdivisions. And apart from the aesthetic point of view there are numerous studies on the effects and health risks of such towers. Imagine what this does to house prices. Some of the studies raise grave concerns about safety, especially of children.
Now, right next to this proposed site is the Atawhai Playcentre which caters for pre-schoolers from zero to six years. A few houses further up Dodson Valley is Atawhai Brightsparks preschool.
Directly in front of the site is a school bus stop. This stands in utter conflict to Telecom’s official ?community commitments? (to avoid locating mobile phone sites next to educational centres along with effective and timely dialogue with the community).
To my knowledge, Telecom has not yet even mentioned any plans to the community, even though it wants to put the tower up in June. Surely there must be places more suitable? Shame on Telecom.
PETRA FIDLER
Atawhai, April 21.
Sir, I am extremely concerned by Telecom’s attitude to its proposed Atawhai cellphone tower. Telecom is proposing a cellphone tower adjacent to Atawhai playcentre and across the road from Brightsparks preschool. Hundreds of dwellings are also in the vicinity. Telecom has published community commitments (taken from Telecom website, March 25). Commitment 6 states: ?Our first choice is to avoid locating mobile phone sites next to educational centres in recognition of local communities’s preferences.?
Commitment 2 states ?We are committed to effective and timely dialogue with the community. We actively listen to issues raised and work to address concerns.? To date none of these commitments have been upheld by Telecom. It would appear Telecom is failing in its corporate responsibilities.
Would you like a cellphone tower next to your house or young children? Telecom plans further towers in Nelson, it could be your community next. I urge readers to consider who their telecommunications provider is. For more information please see www.banthetower.co.nz.
ANTHEA LEES
Atawhai, April 19.
Nelson Mail 23/04/2008
21/04/2008 at 16:45:18
Town councillors wiped away tears in Ontario as a father made an
impassioned plea for them to block the erection of a cellular telephone tower that he fears could cause his sick daughter to develop cancer.
Author: Roberta Avery
Date: Feb 15, 2001
Toronto Star - Toronto, Ont.
source:
Town councillors wiped away tears as a father made an impassioned plea for them to block the erection of a cellular telephone tower that he fears could cause his sick daughter to develop cancer.
"Have some compassion and say no to Rogers," said Fred Miller, whose school-age daughter suffers from a rare medical condition that predisposes her to developing cancer. In a letter Miller read to council, Dr. Ewan Porter, his daughter’s pediatrician, stated microwave transmissions from the tower "could enhance the likelihood of cancer appearing in my young patient." Rogers AT&T Wireless is planning to build a 90-metre tower about 200 metres from Miller’s home and close to a cluster of 20 other homes near Chatsworth, about 30 kilometres south of Owen Sound. Numerous studies have determined the towers pose no health risk, said Laura Patel, Rogers’ manager of corporate communications. But it’s an issue that’s causing increasing alarm across Ontario as demand for
cellular telephone service grows, said Miller. "I’ve linked up with 15 other groups who are trying to fight these things. Some didn’t even have any say they looked out of their windows one day to see a tower going up," said Miller, flanked by about a dozen supportive neighbours. But Rogers has turned a deaf ear to the fact his daughter suffers from Beckwith-Wiedeman Syndrome, which has caused enlargement of three of her internal organs, Miller said. "That was never an issue to them," he
said. Patel said there will be an opportunity for residents to express their concerns when the company makes a presentation to council next Wednesday. The property has the required zoning and Rogers has reached an agreement with the landowner, but "the town gets the final say," Patel said. Patel refused to say how many towers the company has in Ontario, but said it has 1,700 across Canada, most near large population centres. But in a report Miller presented to council, New Zealand doctor Neil
Cherry identifies radiation from the towers as posing a public health risk.
"But they keep putting them up," said Miller, who said all 21 of his neighbours have signed a petition opposing the tower.
Read more.
15/04/2008 at 00:38:09
Telecom pays lip service
Nelson Mail. 09/04/2008
Sir, Telecom’s community commitment No 6 states:
Our first choice is to avoid locating mobile phone sites next to educational facilities.
Its community commitment No 2 states:
We are committed to effective and timely dialogue with the cornmunity
The Nelson City Council Resource Management Plan designation for the Atawhai exchange states that Telecom has a commitment to consult on all resource management issues in respect of any new relevant works on the site.
Telecom is planning to build a 22m cellphone tower at the Atawhai exchange, right beside Atawhai Playcentre.
There has been no consultation and Atawhai Playcentre is definitely an educational facility.
Telecom’s lip service to its publicly documented commitments is shameful. Where are its ethics?
Where else is Telecom planning to locate cellphone towers in our community?
H ARNOLD
Atawhai, April 7.
Attached Files:
14/04/2008 at 23:21:11
Council wants chat about cellphone tower proposal
We think we need to have a conversation with Telecom about It.
Ali Boswijk
Nelson City Councillor
Opponents of a proposed cellphone mast in Atawhai have received a boost, with members of the Nelson City Council set to approach Telecom to discuss the plan.
Telecom intends to install a 22m mast at its Atawhai exchange site in June to increase mobile phone capacity.
The company did not need resource consent because the site, which is located near two play centres, is zoned for telecommunications equipment in the council plan. However, city councillor Ali Boswijk, on behalf of Nelson Mayor Kerry Marshall and the council, has drafted a letter to Telecom chief executive Paul Reynolds asking for company representatives to come to Nelson to discuss the proposal. Ms Boswijk said she was concerned about the impact a mast would have on people in the area.
Personally, I don’t think it is right to put up a cellphone tower, regardless of the safety issue. The perception of it is a negative one which will have a massive impact on that little community, and on the playcentre in particular. We’re writing this as we think we need to have a conversation with Telecom about it, giving them the benefit of the doubt, in that they may not realise the impact they could have... she said.
More than 70 children are enrolled at Atawhai Playcentre. Several parents have indicated that they will remove their children if the mast is installed. Ms Boswijk said that while there was nothing legally the council could do to prevent the mast being installed, it wanted to talk with Telecom about finding an alternative site.
We can be proactive in discussion, and certainly if it’s about location, we can talk to them about another location that may work equally well in terms of what they need to achieve.
Ms Boswijk said she was also keen to talk with Telecom about its broadband rollout and how Nelson fitted into its plans. Atawhai Playcentre president Sarah Allen said she had also written to Telecom, inviting it to Nelson, in the hope that when it heard the community’s concerns, the company would realise it had made an ?awful mistake?. Telecom spokesman Ian Bonnar said it was difficult to make an informed response without having yet received the council’s letter. However, he said Telecom was happy to keep talking with the Nelson community, and we’ll have a look at the letter when it. arrives and respond to it then.
view article :
here.
Read more.
13/04/2008 at 02:17:12
22 meters is surprisingly high !
Nice design!
We have one of those don’t we ?
Letter sent to Telecom on the the 03/04/2008
Authors :
- Nick Duncan
- Sarah Allen
view the letter in pdf format here.
Dear Dr. ReynoldsWe are writing with regard to Telecom’s intention to erect a 22 metre high cell phone tower in Nelson. We appreciate that the location in question is designated as a Telecom telephone exchange, however, it also happens to be adjacent to Atawhai Playcentre. This is an early childhood education centre catering for preschool children (new born to age six). The location is also of serious concern to Atawhai Brightsparks Preschool another early childcare facility located in very close proximity. In addition school children congregate at the bus stop outside the telephone exchange and there are hundreds of dwellings in the vicinity.
As parents and members of the Atawhai community we are concerned about the effect the cell phone tower may have on the future viability of the Playcentre and Brightsparks. We are aware that there have been numerous studies of the effects and health risks of cell phone towers. And while some contend there are no health risks, other reports state the opposite. Regardless of the actual risk, which still appears to be up for debate, we believe that the perceived health risk will have an impact on the Playcentre and preschool. A number of families have already stated their intention to remove children should the cell phone tower go ahead.
We note from Telecom’s Community Commitment number six that “our first choice is to avoid locating mobile phone sites next to educational centres in recognition of local communities’ preferences”.
While Commitment two states “we are committed to effective and timely dialogue with the community. We actively listen to issues raised and work to address concerns.
We are hopeful that you are willing to listen to our concerns and work with us to address them.
We are also aware that Nelson City Council Mayor, Kerry Marshall has invited you to visit Nelson in order to discuss this, among other things. It should also be noted that the proposed site at Corder Park is a gateway to Nelson located along side the Haven Reserve and an open recreational zone on state highway 6, the only route into the City from North. Thus the visual presence of a monumental 22 metre high cell phone tower would be at odds with the current visual amenities of the area.
We look forward to your swift reply on this matter and working towards a mutually beneficial resolution of this issue.
Sarah Allen President, Atawhai Playcentre
Nick Duncan Owner, Brightsparks Preschool
Read more.
CONCERNS: Atawhai Playcentre vice-president Heather Arnold and her daughter Holly, left, and president Sarah Allen with daughter Beatrice. Telecom plans to build a cellphone tower next to the playcentre
read the full article
here
