Glenhaven: 5G Telstra tower planned near Kindalin Early Learning Centre

A northwest Sydney community is furious over plans for a ‘cancer-causing’ 5G tower planned near a childcare centre. But an MP says he will have it on his front lawn if it means tackling technology woes.

Joanne Vella

@Parramatta_News

3 min read

March 1, 2021 - 8:14AM

Hills Shire Times

Hills Shire

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The furious Glenhaven community is fighting against a plan for a Telstra 5G tower it fears will beam “cancer-causing’’ radiation to children at Kindalin Early Learning Centre but their federal MP says it’s needed to tackle “enormous mobile blackspot issues in the electorate”.

The 22m tower is 25m from the 100-place, 30-employee childcare centre and close to homes but is at odds with Berowra federal MP Julian Leeser’s campaign to implement the 5G network for his constituents in Glenhaven and Dural.

Slow internet and phone connections have become more acute since people have been forced to work from home at the start of the coronavirus lockdown last March.

Kindalin Early Learning Centre director Mark Wharton and parents of the Glenhaven Rd centre said there was growing evidence that electromagnetic radiation transmitted from telecommunications towers had long-term adverse health impacts, particularly on children.

Kindalin Early Childhood Learning Centre director Mark Wharton, Glenhaven Veterinary Hospital Gordon Heslop and residents Bill Bassett and Peter Ramaili object to the tower.

“EMR is a known carcinogen causing cancer including brain tumours, cervical, breast and prostate cancers,’’ Mr Wharton said, citing 2011 World Health Organisation research.

“EMR exposure may show up in some children quite early but in most cases not for many years.

“Children have developing brains, that absorb 80 per cent more of this radiation than normal adults and the tower being 25m away from the playground is far, far too close.’’

5G, or fifth generation, wireless technology, started rolling out in 2019.

WHO data published in February 2020 states that after extensive research, no adverse health effect has been linked with exposure to wireless technologies but “only a few studies have been carried out at the frequencies to be used by 5G’’.

The massive tower is planned to be built 25m from Kindalin Early Learning Centre. Picture: Adam Yip

Berowra federal Liberal MP Julian Leeser said he and Telecommunications Minister Paul Fletcher had telecommunications equipment near their respective Pennant Hills and Lindfield offices and was confident it was safe to construct “a telephone tower anywhere in the electorate’’.

“I personally don’t mind where the tower goes, I just want to see it improve the telecommunications for people in Glenhaven and Dural, particularly because I am concerned that at present people are at risk because of an inability to communicate in emergency situations,’’ he said.

“I support a tower being built to address the enormous mobile blackspot issues in the electorate including in Glenhaven and Dural.

“Indeed, I would have one in my front yard of my own home.’’

Mr Leeser said he was working on securing an Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) representative’s expertise and also referred to Australian chief medical officer Brendan Murphy’s statement on 5G last year when he declared, with the backing of WHO and ARPANSA, that there was no evidence telecommunication technologies, such as 5G, caused health problems.

The Hills Shire Council has received 400 submissions into the Telstra tower proposal.

“I also understand that Vodafone and Optus have a tower on the same (Glenhaven) site which has been in place for several years,’’ Mr Leeser said.

“No one has ever raised with me the issue of this tower. It is therefore hard to mount a case that a new tower in the same location will cause any problems.’’

Kindalin has composed a rebuttal to Mr Leeser’s letter and wants longitudinal research about the 5G effect on children.

Julian Leeser says he just wants the tower built to solve Glenhaven’s technological woes.

“There are no long term studies of children in close proximity (25-100m) away from wireless base station showing safety and no harm to health,’’ Mr Wharton said.

“ARPANSA provides no precautionary information for children.’’

Opponents wants Telstra to consider an alternative site, such as behind Flower Power on Old Northern Rd.

But a Telstra spokeswoman said testing on the 5G network showed it was safe.

“We acknowledge that some people are genuinely concerned about the possible health effects from electromagnetic energy (EME) and we are committed to addressing those concerns responsibly,’’ she said.

“Telstra has conducted extensive EME testing on their 5G network and found the EME levels to be similar to 3G, 4G and Wi-Fi and well below the EME safety limits.’’

Kindalin Early Learning Centre at Glenhaven Rd. Picture: Adam Yip

Mr Wharton said the tower location failed to comply with the Hills Shire Council’s development control plans that state it must be 500m from schools and be restricted to commercial and industrial areas and at least 300m from homes, aged care properties, hospitals and preschools.

The council has been flooded with 400 submissions for the tower application.

A council spokeswoman said it acknowledged that the tower had “concerned some residents” and those in surrounding properties had been notified.

She said the council was assessing what was permissible under the state’s environmental protection policy and the Education Department’s guidelines for telecommunications towers being close to schools.

“This information will be given to the Local Planning Panel who will make a decision on this application,’’ she said.

“Residents will have an opportunity to voice their concerns at this meeting.”

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