Page 1822 - Week 06 - Thursday, 19 May 1994

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(2) My Department has been informed of 13 existing and future sites for Optus towers within the ACT.

(3) The location of the towers was determined by Optus. The Commonwealth Telecommunications Act 1991 exempts Optus and all other telecommunications carriers from State, Territory and Local planning, land use, environmental and aspects of heritage laws during the building and operation of telecommunications networks.

(4) This is a technical matter about which limited information is available. The towers range from approximately 10 - 25 metres in height and are made of either concrete monopole or steel lattice construction. An antenna is located on top of the poles. Typical drawings of the towers and base station are attached.

(5) None that I am aware of. Optus in its environmental planning report stated:

" The radio signals emitted from a base station are non-ionising electromagnetic field energy which does not produce any chemical changes to objects within the field. All cellular communication emissions, under worst case conditions, would be well within the recommended maximum levels of exposure to

radiofrequency of 0.20 milliwatts per square

centimetres as prescribed in Australia standard

AS2772.1 - 1990: Radiofrequency Radiation - Maximum

Exposure Levels: 100 kilohertz (kHz) to 300

gigahertz (GHQ).

The proposed base stations would therefore pose no risk to public health from the base station operations."

(6) The guidelines are contained in the draft

Telecommunications National Code. There are also

requirements in the Hills, Ridges and Buffer Spaces

provisions of the National Capital Plan. There are

guidelines for towers in the Territory Plan but, as

explained above, they are not binding on the carriers.

7&8) There are proposals for 34 towers at present. A list of existing and proposed sites is attached. However, I have written to Mr Brian Howe MP, asking that the National Capital Planning Authority join with the ACT Government in exploring the possibility of massing and use of existing towers. I am hopeful this will reduce the overall numbers. (Complete list attached).

9) The location and construction of these facilities is a

matter for the operators under the Federal legislation.

My Department has a minimal say in their location and as

the decision making responsibility is not one for us it

would be inappropriate for my Department to run a

consultation program.

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