Concern over mobile phone station for Stewart House, a school retreat for kids
A northern beaches charity and ‘safe haven’ for disadvantaged children has been criticised for allowing Telstra to build a mobile phone base station on its roof.
Manly
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A charity dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of disadvantaged children has been criticised after giving Telstra the go-ahead to build a mobile phone mast on the roof of its school.
Stewart House, which runs its operation from an oceanfront building in South Curl Curl, has agreed in principle to the minimal scale 4G station, subject to public consultation.
The station can later be updated to accommodate 5G.
The charity brings 1700 children a year from the country to its beachfront accommodation for 12-day stays where they undergo health checks, have school lessons and excursions to improve their wellbeing.
Telstra say there are no health implications from phone stations and it follows the advice from expert health authorities including the World Health Organisation and the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency.
The two organisations currently advise that there is no substantiated scientific evidence that radiofrequency technologies that operate within national and international safety standards cause health effects, including children and pregnant women.
But Kylie Gill, a mum of two, who lives just 15 metres from the school, said no-one knows the long term effects of 5G technology, which is currently being rolled out nationally, and said she was angry the charity was allowing a mobile phone station to be built above where children sleep.
She said the decision “will expose vulnerable children to electromagnetic radiation proximate to where they sleep and play” and will compromise Stewart House’s “positive standing within the local community if they proceed with this proposal”.
Ms Gill, 45, said she was also concerned about her own children’s health and the fact the building was heritage listed.
She urged residents to attend the consultation session at South Curl Curl Surf Lifesaving Club hall on Thursday from 5pm to 8pm.
Murray O’Donnell, Chief Operating Officer at Stewart House, refused to comment about the proposed Telstra base.
In a leaflet delivered to homes around South Curl Curl Telstra stated that the demand on mobile phone infrastructure doubles every year and without new base stations mobile coverage will degrade until it becomes “virtually useless”.
Mrs Gill agreed coverage was patchy in the area.
IN OTHER NEWS:
A Telstra spokesman said it was currently working to acquire a new 4G mobile site at Stewart House, 45 Carrington Parade.
“We acknowledge there may be some concerns from local residents and will be looking to address those concerns as part of our community consultation,” the spokesman said.
“We have investigated a number of candidate locations in the area and this site represents the best location to provide improved Telstra coverage to the Curl Curl area.
“The building we are proposing to install our equipment on is not heritage listed but is located on the same property as a heritage listed building.”