The site of an approved 35-metre-high telecommunications tower in Mooroopna.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
A 35-metre-high telecommunications tower has been approved by Greater Shepparton City Council for Mooroopna.
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A planning application for the mobile phone tower to be constructed at 214-232 Echuca Rd was approved by council at its meeting on Tuesday, May 17.
The 5.4ha site is subject to bushfire and flood overlays and owned by Goulburn Valley Regional Water, and currently contains a water tower.
The site is adjacent to Gemmill Swamp to the east and abuts Echuca Rd to the west. Land to the north and west, opposite Echuca Rd, comprises residential dwellings and Craigmuir Lake. Land to the south contains a utility station for Goulburn Valley Water.
The tower, which is yet to be funded by the Victorian Government, would carry new 4G/5G panel antennas, one GPS antenna and six remote radio units.
The application was advertised, with 13 objections received by council. The main grounds of objection were the tower’s proximity to residential dwellings, potential health impacts of emissions from the tower and locating a tower on a flood plain.
Councillors noted the objections, but approved the application, citing strong support for it within the Greater Shepparton Planning Scheme, because its location mitigates visual concerns and because it meets the Australian standards in relation to electromagnetic emissions.
Cr Geoff Dobson acknowledged the objections, but pointed to previous Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal findings, which said council’s decisions had to be guided by scientific evidence.
“We’re being guided by what the experts say as well,” Cr Dobson said.
“We must always acknowledge that there is some sort of trepidation around these sorts of towers and I must congratulate those people who objected, it’s the way democracy goes, but I must say that I’m in favour of the recommendation.”
Location: The site of an approved 35-metre-high telecommunications tower in Mooroopna.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
Cr Dinny Adem moved the motion recommending the tower be approved, saying the site was the most appropriate option.
“There’s already an asset there, some water tanks on this particular site. This is probably the best location for this tower,” he said.
“Unfortunately, or fortunately, whatever the case may be, we need to have these towers up for communications, for safety purposes.
“Even though people do object sometimes to the aesthetics of these types of things, I think every measure has been taken to reduce that impact on the community and I’m pretty comfortable with it.”
Speaking after the meeting, Mayor Shane Sali said he also approved of locating the tower on the site in question.
“We know the tower is going to sit at 35m in height, but there’s already a GV Water tower, which is 33m in height and it contains existing telecommunications infrastructure on that tower as it is,” he said.
“The tower already has existing roadside vegetation, which is obviously between the houses that sit opposite there as well, so this particular zone is encouraged to have this type of infrastructure built on it.”
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