Steven Ciobo (Moncrieff, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Recently I was contacted by residents of Carabella Court at Mermaid Waters. These residents contacted me with concerns that they had about a recently erected 25-metre high-impact tower for telecommunications facilities. When they contacted me, I promised them that I would travel down to meet with them, listen to their concerns and act upon their concerns. I had the distinct pleasure only a couple of weeks ago of meeting with them to talk about this tower. I viewed it myself and saw the kind of visual impact it has. I must say that I share the concerns of not only the residents of Carabella Court but residents from surrounding streets as well. All of these residents are now faced with a 25-metre high-impact tower located—in the instance of two particular residents—literally within 10 metres of bedrooms of residential houses.

The question must be asked: why is it that a 25-metre high-impact tower is allowed to be built on a site like this? Residents informed me when I met with them that the site had previously contained a 15-metre tall tower. That tower had been in place from 1995 through to 2006. However, the first that residents of Carabella Court and its surrounding streets knew of the actual installation and erection of this new 25-metre tall tower was the day that it was actually put in place. With the exception of two homes on either side of the crown land that currently houses the 25-metre high-impact tower, no-one else in that street or surrounding streets was advised by council, or anybody else, that a 25-metre tall tower would be installed.

Understandably, residents are greatly concerned about two key issues. The first is the impact this 25-metre tall tower will have on residential property values. The second and certainly understandable concern they have is the potential adverse health effects that may flow from having such a significant tower with so many telephone cells on top of it so close to residential housing. I indicated to residents that met with me on the day—and there were probably about 35 residents that came out to talk to me—that I would pursue both of these matters on their behalf, and I have done just that.

Just yesterday I had the opportunity to speak with Senator the Hon. Helen Coonan, the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, and also to explore this issue in more detail with her advisers. What I uncovered is that as this is a high-impact tower, it required the approval of the Gold Coast City Council, through a planning committee, before it could be built. The federal government does have jurisdiction over low-impact facilities and low-impact towers, but this is not a low-impact tower; this is a high-impact tower. As such, it required council approval in order to be constructed.

So I can say to all residents of Carabella Court and all residents of the surrounding streets that are concerned by this that I absolutely will be pursuing this matter with great vigour with their local area councillor, Councillor Jan Grew, the councillor for division 11, and with the Mayor of the Gold Coast City Council, to find out how it can possibly be justified that a 25-metre high-impact tower should be constructed so close to residences and be constructed without any real consultation, so I am informed, with local residents.

The second issue was the concerns that residents have over any potential adverse health impact as a result of the tower. I am informed by Senator Coonan’s office that electromagnetic emission reports that have been taken at the tower show that there is, fortunately, a very low level, of 0.72 per cent of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency standard, being emitted from the tower. So less than one per cent of the acceptable standard of radiation is being emitted. I am sure that is welcome news to residents that live nearby. Nonetheless there are questions that must be asked. Why is it that the council permitted this tower to be built? Why is it that council did not consult local residents about the impact of this 25-metre tower? Why is it that now we are forced to retrospectively try to seek an answer to these questions? I pledge to residents of Carabella Court and surrounding streets that I will explore all of these questions thoroughly. (Time expired).