A MOUNT Gambier resident living just metres from a towering mobile phone base station has called on authorities to ensure no more of these structures are erected in populated residential areas.
This comes as telecommunication giant Telstra proposes an upgrade to its existing mobile phone tower on Stafford Street in Mount Gambier.
Telstra has also released details to upgrade its mobile base station on James Street.
The telco says the proposed infrastructure will comply with strict regulatory environmental standards.
According to the proposal, the calculated electromagnetic energy (EME) from the Stafford Street tower will increase to 3.3pc (50 metres from location).
But for Stafford Street resident Angela Maynard – whose house is just 35 metres from the existing tower – these structures should not be allowed in built up residential areas.
Ms Maynard continues to harbour concerns over potential health impacts for the hundreds of residents who live around the structure, including students at Mount Gambier North R-7 School.
The tower – earmarked to be upgraded with three new panel antennas – is nestled among houses in the north-west area of the city.
The 30-metre high structure sits in the carpark of the Mount Gambier Christian Centre.
Ms Maynard warned more residents were likely to be affected given the proposed increased strength of the tower, which had an “umbrella affect”.
Furious the structure was allowed to be built in this area, Ms Maynard said the tower would not be seen in a more upmarket residential area in Mount Gambier.
“I cannot see them whacking this thing in the middle of Conroe Heights in those new areas where it is needed,” the upset resident said.
“They would not dream of putting it near a $400,000 house, but they will put them where there are houses worth under $200,000 – it is a low socio-economic area.
“How many do you see in new residential areas? There are none.”
Ms Maynard claimed residents had little chance of fighting these developments, including the proposed upgrade.
She said the tower on James Street was nestled among shops and people were “not living and sleeping there”.
“I do not believe the base tower should had been put on Stafford Street in the first place,” said Ms Maynard who argued it should been built at Corriedale Park area.
“We feel it is such a high residential built up area here – it simply should not be here.”
Ms Maynard argued the structure was too close to a school given recommendations they should not be in areas where children played.
“We have had health issues since it was constructed in 2013, but we cannot prove it is related. Things have changed since it has been up,” she revealed.
While understanding people needed phone infrastructure, the resident argued it was “not safe to have one right next to somebody’s house”.
“They keep saying it is perfectly safe, but what does that mean?”
Ms Maynard claimed nobody knew the long term health affects of living under a mobile phone base station for 20 years.
“We did try and fight this in 2013, but we were basically shut out – this really annoyed me. By the time we found out, it was done and dusted,” she said.
“Regardless of spending millions of dollars – and nobody around here has that sort of money – what do we do?”
“We feel we are used as guinea pigs to see what it does to us – we are not scientists, we just do not know.”
Ms Maynard said the ABC issue – where there was a breast cancer cluster in one building – was one example to consider.
“The funny thing is there is no longer anybody in this building.”
People can make written submissions on the two proposals, which close Thursday, August 8.
