5G: Northern Beaches campaign call for halt to rollout of upgrade over health fears

INTERACTIVE MAP: A campaign has been launched to stop the rollout of the 5G network on the northern beaches over concerns 24/7 wireless radiation could be dangerous for people’s health, the environment and even bees.

Vivian Dunstan, centre, is leading a campaign to stop the rollout of 5G on the northern beaches, over health concerns. Picture: Troy Snook

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A campaign has been launched to stop the rollout of the 5G network on the northern beaches over concerns 24/7 wireless radiation could be dangerous for people’s health, the environment and even insects such as bees.

Vivian Dunstan, 53, who started the Stop 5G Northern Beaches Facebook group in April, said she now had more than 1300 members who were calling for a halt until research proved the latest update in communications technology was safe.

MAP SHOWING PLANNED 5G ROLLOUT ON THE NORTHERN BEACHES

Manly is one of the first suburbs to see 5G rolled out in Australia, promising faster network speeds — up to an estimated 10-20 times quicker — for those with a compatible phone.

There are currently 17 proposed or active 5G antennae on the peninsula.

Children in the playground near a telecommunications towers at Tania Park, Balgowlah, which is due to be upgraded to 5G. Picture: Troy Snook.

But politicians in one city, Brussels, are so concerned about possible health risks they stopped its 5G rollout tests in April, stating they did not want their citizens to be “guinea pigs”.

Some scientists have concerns that current electromagnetic radiation from power lines, wi-fi, phone masts and broadcast transmitters could pose a cancer risk, damage DNA, cause headaches and behavioural problems.

An analysis of 97 studies by a EU-funded review body concluded there was also a potential risk to insect and bird orientation and plant health.

Environmentalists have warned the 5G roll out could cause greater harm.

Vivian Dunstan holds an electromagnetic wave detector at Tania Park, Balgowlah. Residents are concerned about the possible dangers of 5G. Picture: Troy Snook

“Many people don’t understand what 5G actually means,” Ms Dunstan, of Warriewood, said.

“It will dramatically increase our exposure to wireless radiation.”

Initially 5G will be made available via existing phone towers upgraded to emit smaller, but more powerful radio waves, than 4G or 3G in the past.

But there are plans in the future to add small cells — antennae the size of a cricket bat — to lampposts and the outside of houses to meet the increased data and connectivity demand that technologies like 5G will bring.

A telecommunications tower at Tania Park, Balgowlah, next to a playground. Picture: Troy Snook

Ms Dunstan said eventually everything will be “connected”, including fridges, TVs, washing machines, as well as driverless cars and things that have not yet been thought of.

“At the moment I can turn my Wi-Fi off at home,” she said.

“When everything relies on 5G there will be no escape at all 24/7.

“We don’t want to end up with another tobacco or asbestos health fiasco.

“We will be able to have toothbrushes which can tell us when they need to be replaced, but what price will we pay for that?”

Manly towers are being upgraded for 5G, including this one at Tania Park, Balgowlah. Picture: Troy Snook

One of the telcos providing 5G, Telstra, said most areas of Manly will be 5G accessible by the end of the month, but at this stage there were no plans to add extra small “cells”, to the ones which are already in operation.

Ms Dunstan said she was fighting the 5G rollout because her 22-year-old daughter, a former competitive dancer and first grade netballer, was diagnosed with chronic fatigue when she was at school.

To limit her symptoms the family live a clean life, eat organically and limit toxins or pollutants in the house.

A warning on the telecommunications tower at Balgowlah. Picture: Troy Snook

Stop 5G Northern Beaches Facebook group members have also raised concerns over a number of 3G and 4G mobile phone masts that are stationed within or in close proximity to peninsula schools, including Northern Beaches Secondary College, Balgowlah Boys, Frenchs Forest High and Bilgola Plateau Public, worried they may too be eventually upgraded.

A spokesman for Telstra said: “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.

Vivian Dunstan, from Warriewood, and concerned residents at Tania Park at Balgowlah are concerned about the possible dangers of 5G. Picture: Troy Snook

“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.”

Mackellar MP Jason Falinski, who met with Ms Dunstan and her group this week, said telcos needed to do a better job at consulting with the community.

He also said he would look into concerns over the Australia Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) setting its limits for human exposure to radio waves was 100 times higher than countries such as Russia, China and Switzerland.

“I am going to ask the question of ARPANSA why they appear to be out of synch with others around the world,” Mr Falinski said.

Anti 5G sticker being held by a member of Stop 5G Northern Beaches group. Picture: Troy Snook.

On its website ARPANSA addressed what is called “misinformation about the 5G network” saying there were no established health effects from the radio waves that the 5G network uses.

“We urge you to be cautious of claims from anti 5G campaigns,” it states.

“These campaigns are generating unfounded fear and concern within the community.”

To check where the phone masts are go to the Radio Frequency National Site Archive RFNSA at rfnsa.com.au.