Battle over cellphone tower

Shirley Norton and Gary Meads on the transmission tower site, which they say is 75m from their home. Picture / Daily Post

A Rotorua couple are battling Vodafone and local authorities to stop a transmission tower being built in their neighbourhood, fearing it will be a health risk.

Vodafone New Zealand has applied to the Rotorua District Council for resource consent to build the 20m-high tower on land owned by Habitat for Humanity, which runs a charity store on the section.

The tower would feature six panel and two microwave dish antennae and would improve mobile phone services to the area.

Shirley Norton and Gary Meads, who live across the road, are not happy about the tower being built 75m from their home.

They received details of the proposal from Vodafone two weeks ago.

Ms Norton contacted the company and was told there would be no adverse health effects but she remains doubtful. "They have no proof that it doesn't cause any health problems."

Children from nearby Western Heights Primary School, Aorangi Primary School and Homedale Kindergarten would walk past the tower every day, she said.

She had seen pictures of the proposed tower and said it would look awful, possibly affecting property values. A tower should not be built in a residential area when there were rural properties which could be used.

Western Heights Primary School principal Brent Griffin said he was "absolutely appalled". A third of his students would walk past the tower, which was only 200m from the school, every day.

He was upset that the school had not been consulted.

He said he would contact the district council for information before deciding what action the school might take.

The tower is classed as a "discretionary activity" under the Resource Management Act, giving the council the power to decide whether to allow it. Conditions could be imposed if consent was granted.

Habitat Restore store manager David Charlton said he gave Vodafone permission to build the tower because he was satisfied it would not pose a risk to people's health.

Vodafone spokeswoman Veronica Ruddenklau said she did not believe the tower would pose any risk. Considerable research had been done and standards had been set by the Ministry of Health.

Council planning services manager Tracey May said Western Heights Primary School was not consulted because it was not considered an affected party.

- NZPA