Rural anger mounts over NBN tower rollout

 

THE first Chris McMahon knew that the National Broadband Network had come to town was when he returned home from work one afternoon to find his rural idyll brutally shattered. 

His much-loved views of rolling fields and blue hills had been replaced with the shocking sight of a 35m steel tower.

"The first thing I knew of it was seeing it hanging off a crane, being bolted into the ground," said the farm equipment contractor. "It was about 300m as the crow flies in front of my front window."

Like most other locals in the sleepy, historic town of Ross in Tasmania's rural Midlands, Mr McMahon had not seen the public notice published in a local newspaper alluding to the planned 10-storey tower.

Many locals are angry that the only landowner directly consulted was the owner of land adjacent to the tower site -- a man they say lives 5km away and had agreed to lease the tower site, which he also owns, to NBN Co.

And they have a warning for the rest of rural Australia, where the towers are being rolled out to deliver the NBN wirelessly in areas where fibre optic cabling is too costly or impractical.

"The rest of rural Australia needs to be aware that big brother has come to town; that they will acquire (tower sites) by stealth, that there is no justice for the local people and that there will be lots of spin-doctoring done," fellow resident Barb Crosswell said.

"We have no objection to what it (NBN) will bring . . . it's the way they do their business that's the problem." Ms Crosswell said residents believe NBN Co has breached the Northern Midlands Planning Scheme, which stipulates new telco towers should be located with existing infrastructure where it exists.

"They appear to have chosen this site out of expediency, with no regard for us," she said.

Offended residents want the tower relocated and for NBN Co to adopt a consultative approach in future.Their concerns about the tower include a loss of property values, ambience and views, as well as feared health impacts.

NBN Co spokesman Andrew Sholl said the company had "followed due process", including advertising in the local paper and consulting the head of a town committee.

"We posted a notice to surrounding neighbours. We also placed a sign on the site.

"On the question of health impacts, we comply with strict public health and safety standards established by regulatory authorities."

theaustralian.com.au 13 Jul 2013