Residents Need To Know - ’where Are The Cell Tower Sites’?

30 September 2008 from :Voxy

Green Party MP Sue Kedgley is calling on Telecom, Vodafone and NZ Communications to publicly release a list of thousands of proposed sites for new cell phone towers, to inform local residents before they are built.

"Telecommunications companies want to erect thousands of new cell towers in the coming year and it is important they are open and honest about the location of these towers, rather than sneaking them into communities by stealth." Ms Kedgley says.

"Telecom has recently confirmed to a Parliamentary select committee that it proposes to erect 300 new cell towers in the coming year. A new entrant, NZ Communications, has indicated it will erect a further 1300 new cell sites. Vodafone also has plans for new towers as it rolls out its new 3G network.

"Communities have a right to know where all these cell towers are to be erected ahead of time."

"It would be easy for the three teleco companies to list proposed sites on their websites, and they should do so as soon as possible," Ms Kedgley says.

"Without transparent information on proposed cell tower sites, residents risk waking up to find a tower being erected anywhere in their neighbourhood without their knowledge or consent."

Street party plans to flag up Cellphone tower issue

George Gardner
A community street party to raise awareness about the perceived negative impact of cell-phones towers in communities will take place in Surfdale this weekend.
Organisers of the event this Saturday, 27 September, are inviting residents in the area - and their friends and enemies - to join in the Marama Avenue street party
and to flyy something red? outside their houses to support the cause. The information pamphlet being disseminated says, ?let’s show everyone we are all very angry (red) about the
towers.?
Those attending the street party, between 11am and 2pm, are invited to bring a plate. a chair, a sunhat, and listen to the speakers and ?heal community rifts’.
it follows in the wake of angry residents saying they have not been consulted oser the planned cellphone tower installations at Waiheke Bowling Club. Waiheke Community Board member Eileen Evans has confirmed she will be attending the event.
1t’s an Important issue for me,? she told Waiheke Marketplace. ?I feel we need more consultation on a national and local level.?
For more information, email nocellphonetower@gmaiLcom.

Thursday, 25 September 2008

Telecom admits mistakes over cellphone towers

Telecom today said it could have recognised community concerns about cellphone towers better.

Telecom representatives today fronted up to the local government select committee which is considering a petition signed by more than 3000 people opposed to a cellphone tower at Atawhai in Nelson by a Playcentre.

The petition, started by Nelson group Ban the Tower, calls for no towers within 1km of schools and pre-schools and for consultation before towers could be erected.

The committee has also heard from concerned citizens in other areas including Titahi Bay in Porirua. Opponents are worried about possible health risks and visual pollution.

Telecom was accused of erecting the towers without notice or consultation.

Telecom head of government and community relations Dean Schmidt recognised things could have been handled better.

"Telecom recognise we haven’t recognised the community engagement at Atawhai and subsequently in Titahi Bay as well as those communities would have expected."

He said Telecom was working with communities to find satisfactory alternative sites.

About 60 towers were built a year for the 4 million mobile devices (cellphones but also things like wireless cards) used in New Zealand.

Sites were built to improve services and a radio frequency report done for each one.

Telecom said often complaints were about height yet higher towers gave off less radiation.

Telecom local government and community relations manager Paul Leslie the company did consult with communities and complied with requirements under the Resource Management Act.

He said Telecom talked to local councils and, even when there was no requirement to consult, informed neighbours adjacent to sites.

"We don’t just plough through and build sites overnight and people wake up to find them there the next morning."

Telecom had stopped projects in both Atawhai and Titahi Bay because of community concerns.

National’s Nick Smith welcomed Telecom’s approach.

"I’m pleased you’ve come along this morning with a mea culpa and said you could have done better."

He accepted towers needed to be near customers but putting one on the corner of a playcentre seemed extreme.

Telecom said the site was chosen because it was zoned commercially and an existing telephone exchange building was there but accepted that the use was different.

Dr Smith said Telecom needed to find a middle ground to apply nationwide.

Mr Schmidt said while sites were safe they preferred not to build near schools.

Green MP Sue Kedgley said close neighbours were only told shortly before construction started and that was not genuine consultation.

Ms Kedgley questioned officials from the health and environment ministries about the New Zealand Standard for radiofrequency radiation fields.

The Environment Ministry submission said the standard set limits for public exposure 50 times lower than the level at which health effects could occur.

Environment Minister manager of RMA implementation Craig Mallett said there were controls on siting of towers under district plans and the plans were extensively consulted.

He said councils could put controls on things like height limits; "but it shouldn’t be used a backdoor method to control the radiation issue".

Ms Kedgley argued that there was research showing adverse health effects.

She asked if the Crown would be liable for compensation if there were found to be health effects.

Mr Mallett said he was unsure but "possibly".

He said the standard was based on the best evidence and science available.

Dr Smith said cellphone and microwave use were more worrying as the levels of radiation were far higher.

- NZPA

From Peton Herald

Cell tower CEO invited to explain ?big stick’
By Tim O’Connell

The technological boom in Hutt is set to continue with a resource consent application from NZ Communications to build a 15-metre cell phone tower in Maungaraki. The proposed site is in Honeysuckle Grove, north of the water tower - already home to the council-owned Smartlinx’s wireless equipment. But Maungaraki’s Colin Williams, who lives about 140 metres away, thinks the cell tower will destroy the ambiance of the area and is determined to make sure his voice is heard. With two panel antennas, four microwave dishes and a lightning rod attached, the proposed mast will extend to almost twice the height of the water tower. ?Essentially, it’s a big stick,? he said. Mr Williams is also wary of the threat of noise in the neighbourhood, which is currently limited to ?the odd lawnmower and a couple of tuis.? ?I’d be surprised if the CEO of NZ Communications would tolerate such an installation in his immediate neighbourhood. ?To that end, I invite him to visit for a coffee...to take in the ambiance and discuss why he thinks I should tolerate one in mine.? Should NZ Communications’ application be successful, Mr Williams believes more equipment will be added in the future. Until now, residents of the hillside suburb have had to rely on getting their cellphone reception from the Mount Crowther tower in Wainuiomata or other sites around Hutt. Mr Williams believes the new mast will boost reception but a less intrusive solution would be to build it further up the hill, where telecommunications equipment is already in place. The application has indicated radiation emitted would be low but Mr Williams is still worried by the mast’s closeness to residents. For now, Mr Williams’ focus is on gathering support for his cause, with an eye to seeking possible legal advice on the resource consent process. NZ Communications is aiming to set up a third mobile network in New Zealand. Submissions on the consent application close 5pm, October 7.