Residents’ concerns grow on approved telecommunications tower for Echuca Rd, Mooroopna

Better mobile coverage is being promised for Mooroopna residents with the construction of a new 35m tower but not everyone is happy to have it near their homes.

Proposed Amplitel location adjacent to the northern side of the reservoir. Picture: Supplied

A plan to construct a 35m 5G mobile phone tower in Mooroopna has been given the green light, despite 13 objections from local residents.

The proposal for the telecommunications tower at 214-232 Echuca Rd, including the installation of a triangular headframe, nine new 4G/5G panel antennas and a GPS antenna, was given the tick of approval from Greater Shepparton councillors on Tuesday.

It is set to provide better mobile phone coverage to local residents.

Some locals had concerns about the proximity of the tower to residential dwellings, potential adverse impacts of emissions from the tower and locating a tower on a flood plain.

But council officers considered there was strong policy support in the Greater Shepparton Planning Scheme for a telecommunications facility; is was sited to mitigate visual amenity; and it meets the Australian Standards in relation to electromagnetic emissions.

Mooroopna resident Ruya Anderson, who lives with her two children about 70m opposite from the proposed location for the tower, was “incredibly disappointed” after hearing the plan was approved.

Plans of the proposed telecommunications tower in detail. Picture: Supplied

Ms Anderson, who has lived in the area for two years, objected to the plan over health concerns.

“I’ve purchased this home, I’m intending to live here long-term and this is a consistent stream of radiation day and night that residents of that area are going to be exposed too,” she said.

“Beyond my house is bushland — so really there’s no excuse for them to not be able to do so — and if they were to go 1km down the road there’s farmland there they could put it in if they wanted to, and we could still get our mobile coverage,” she said.

“There’s ample opportunities for them and other places other than our doorstep.”

Ms Anderson was also concerned about future co-locations.

A snapshot of calculated EME levels at the proposed site on Echuca Rd. Picture: visionstream

“What happens is when there’s one tower approved, that’s automatically seen as an ideal place for other providers and carriers — and each time a new provider is added to the tower, that adds an additional radiation load to the surrounding people,” she said.

The council report noted the bulk of objections in relation to the tower related to the health risk associated with generation of electromagnetic emissions or radiation from the site.

“The council accepts that the proposal has been designed and sited to generate a

small percentage of possible electromagnetic emissions in accordance with the Australian Standard and is appropriate”.

Greater Shepparton councillors approved the tower at their council meeting on Tuesday afternoon, with five councillors in support and three opposed.

“There’s been a demand for a telecommunications facility and this particular facility will provide increased mobile coverage which is what our community needs,” Cr Seema Abdullah said in the meeting.

“There’s always a nervousness with towers put up in any area in regards to residential where people live — and I am sure if there was one erected not far from my place I have some certain concerns about that too,” Deputy mayor Anthony Brophy said.

“We have been briefed on the compliances and what it looks like in terms of all of that — it is appropriately zoned, there is strategic justification in having it there and all compliances have been met from what we have been informed with.

“We see no objection in regards to allowing that particular motion to go forward.”

The tower, which stands on Goulburn Valley Regional Water land, is expected to have minimal impact on the surrounding flora and fauna.

It has been designed to be the smallest structure possible while still providing technical coverage for the area.

Residents living in the area including Ms Anderson have considered going to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) for advice.

It is yet to be confirmed when the telecommunications tower will be installed at the site.