Killcare Heights mobile tower: Decision deferred by local planning panel

Some residents say the lack of mobile coverage could be ‘life threatening’, while others like millionaire developer Tony Denny, say the tower is an ‘abomination’. Find out the latest.

A proposed 33-metre mobile tower in Killcare Heights, which has divided the local community, has been put on ice.

The $462,000 proposal for 37 Wards Hill Rd has been deferred by the Central Coast Local Planning Panel to get further information on the height variation in the area as well as consultation with the Darkinjung Aboriginal Land Council.

The DA came before the panel last week with speakers for and against the tower. The DA has divided the community with many people saying the lack of coverage affects people working from home, internet banking and could be life threatening in an emergency.

On the other side people say it should be built in another location and will impact views in the area.

Photo montage of the tower from Killcare.

Millionaire developer and Wards Hills Rd resident Tony Denny spoke against the tower, saying while there was no doubt they needed improved coverage Wards Hill Rd was the “gateway to the Bouddi National Park”.

“This is on a gateway road into an incredibly beautiful area,” he said. “You will see it as you drive into the national park area and as you leave the national park area That is an abomination and should not be allowed. I think there is an alternate solution that should be explored.”

He said the visual impact assessment failed to assess the impact of the tower on private properties and disregarded residents in the area.

Local developer and Wards Hill Rd resident Tony Denny spoke against the tower. Picture: Troy Snook

Killcare resident Michael Allen spoke on behalf of some of the surrounding residents in support of the tower saying many residents struggled with mobile coverage.

“The lack of mobile and data service to hundreds of local residents is not simply a matter of inconvenience,” he said. “It is potentially a matter of life and death.”

He said while many residents were aged over 65, a majority of homes in the surrounding areas were also in the “flame zone” fire risk classification.

“If the internet fails, and it often does here, we are unable to call triple-0,” he said.

He said it was about time this “vital infrastructure was approved”.

Wagstaffe to Killcare Community Association president Mike Allsop said the group had been fighting for improved mobile service for years. He said text messages used to secure banking transactions or government services weren’t able to be received, while people working from home were unable to carry out their work properly.

The site of the proposed mobile tower proposed in Wards Hill Rd Killcare

He said the group had no issue with the tower, however they did initially express concerns about the ground level infrastructure which has since been moved away from sight in the plans with added planting.

Joanna Ward spoke on behalf of the applicant Lendlease and said both Optus and Telstra had been seeking a mobile tower site for a number of years to address “significant” mobile coverage shortcomings.

She said the deficiency was in Killcare, Killcare Heights, Hardys Bay and surrounding suburbs, which could be life threatening in emergencies.

“Investigations have identified that around 1300 registered addresses will receive improved coverage from this proposed facility,” she said.

The tower will be 33m tall.

Ms Ward said both mobile carriers operating from the one facility would prevent the proliferation of towers in the area. She said the facility would be screened from Wards Hill Rd by existing verge vegetation and while the tower would be visible to the community, it would not impact the character of the area

The proposal is for construction of a 33m telecommunications tower, equipment shelter and access road track, along with the removal of 33 trees.

The development application (DA) aims to improve Optus and Telstra mobile service for locals, along with surrounding areas including Box Head, Hardys Bay, Wagstaff, Booker Bay and Ettalong.

The DA has been on public exhibition a number of times since it was originally lodged in 2016 and two community information sessions were held at Killcare Surf Life Saving Club in 2018.

A total of 73 objections have been lodged over the public exhibition periods and changes have been made to the DA including a footprint reduction from 95sq m to 61sq m, reduction in antennas on the tower from 10 to six and an increased setback from Wards Hill Rd.

Artists impression of the tower from the road.

Central Coast Council has recommended the DA be approved.

The site, which is owned by the council, is zoned E4 Environmental and currently has an above ground reservoir tank.

While telecommunications facilities are prohibited in E4 zones, they are permitted under the State Environmental Planning Policy (Infrastructure). However the applicant is also seeking a 288 per cent variation to the 8.5m maximum height limit for the zone.

“It is noted overall that the proposal is for a mobile network base station that would provide improved depth and quality of coverage to the Optus and Telstra networks within the Killcare Heights and surrounding suburbs which currently present a significantly deficient mobile coverage service,” the council’s report states.

Council stated that the tower is “expected to have minor to no visual impact for distant open spaces, townships, roads and general suburbia given the proposal will be screened by intervening vegetation”.