Tauranga residents angered by the erection of cell phone towers in their neighbourhoods can find comfort in the success of some Taupo residents.
New 2 Degrees cell phone towers, such as this one in Brookfield, are being erected across Tauranga.
Taupo resident Mark David says a group of about 40 property owners have successfully lobbied the Taupo District Council to refuse a 2 Degrees cell phone tower application.
He says 2 Degrees obtained resource consent for placing a tower, 'but they required Taupo Council's permission as landowners to erect it”.
'This is where we based our campaign,” says Mark.
He downloaded some of the articles on SunLive about 2 Degrees' activity in the Tauranga/Mount Maunganui/Papamoa area to use in his campaign.
A photo used in the Taupo residents' submission against a proposed cell phone tower.
'At the hearing on the 30th, both the residents and 2 Degrees put their cases and I'm proud to say Taupo Councillors stood up for their community as a whole and refused the 2 Degrees application.
'There will be no cell tower in our area.”
Mark says councillors voted 11-1 against 2 Degrees' application.
'2 Degrees only presented two options they said were viable, a tower or smaller ones on light posts.
'Our councillors and mayor were angered by the fact that 2 Degrees could put these up on street berms ‘as of right' with no consultation.”
Mark hopes Tauranga residents can learn from his experience in stopping the erection of cell towers and encourages them to make their views heard at the Tauranga City Council.
7 comments
Here is another example...
Posted on 01-09-2011 12:26 | By claypole
of local people signing a petition and being backed by councillors to stop a tower bein erected in an unsuitable spot :www.thurrockgazette.co.uk/news/9180737.Controversial_phone_mast_application_rejected_by_councillors/ Although they were made a ware of the application. The problem here is that TCC do not consult the people they represent on these applications citing 'the communication companies have a right'. The main reason TCC dont make applications 'publicly notified' is because it cost money to hold meetings, consultations etc. Also the RMA states that consultation is 'good business practice' but not a requirement!
nimbys....
Posted on 01-09-2011 12:39 | By wreck1080
lets just bowl all the towers and move nz back to pre-cellular era. Doh!
Posted on 01-09-2011 12:40 | By dgk
People want their cellphones to work, but don't want the essential infrastructure that allows them to work. People want council to spend heaps of money consulting them on everything, but don't want to pay the increased rates needed to fund this extra consultation. Oh well, no one will win on this....
Not in my backyard
Posted on 01-09-2011 19:40 | By Inconvenient Truth
I use a cellphone like most people these days. The towers are no worse in appearance than telephone poles and power poles and transformers and all the everyday stuff in our streets and roads. But I do think the first choice for these towers should be commercial areas. Then again I guess most people using cellphones are in residential areas. Could Mark explain his statement'Our councillors and mayor were angered by the fact that 2 Degrees could put these up on street berms ‘as of right' with no consultation.” If that's correct how come the company didn't put them up?
Funny...
Posted on 01-09-2011 21:44 | By andrewcnz
So the way I read it in Taupo,2 degrees need only find a land owner to site the towers they want to build. No doubt someone will take the cash!
Small Town Mentality
Posted on 02-09-2011 07:25 | By Honedaman
Everyone wants good coverage on their cellphones, but no one wants towers in their area...what a joke!
WHO LIKE A BIRD ON A POLE?
Posted on 06-09-2011 00:26 | By PLONKER
I actually liek the idea of a extension to the street light poles, less than the horrid Telecom/Vodafone monster towers, it even provides a better vantage point for seagulls, how bad can that be.
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