Friday, 11 September 2009

The Mobile Carriers Forum (MCF) has welcomed the Victorian State Government’s interim findings in its review of Victoria’s Planning System and the 1987 Planning and Environment Act, which comes after more than 21 years of operation.

In early May this year the MCF made a submission on behalf of the Industry in response to “Modernising Victoria’s Planning Act: A discussion paper on opportunities to improve the Planning and Environment Act 1987”, which was released by the Victorian Minister for Planning Justin Madden MLC.

The review aimed to simplify current laws and strengthen timeliness in the planning process, including an examination of planning permit processes leading to development approval.

The MCF and its member Carriers including Telstra, Optus and VHA are important stakeholders in the Victorian Planning system, as approximately 100 Planning Permits are issued each year for new mobile telecommunications towers in Victoria.

“We have a large stake in ensuring that the Permit Process is working efficiently and strikes a reasonable balance between the provision of important telecommunications services and the need to protect the environment from adverse impacts arising from telecommunications infrastructure,” said Matt Evans MCF Program Manager.

The MCF has welcomed the proposed introduction of a “Code Assess” track in the new Planning system, which is a shorter 14-day application process and provides much greater certainty than the current 60-day process. Once the Bill is drafted for consideration by the Parliament the MCF will look closely to determine how we may utilise the new Code Assess track.

“This presents an opportunity to identify telecommunications facilities for a shortened Code assess track, such as freestanding towers in Industrial or Rural areas, and to create specified performance standards and pre-determined criteria along the lines of what is currently proposed in NSW,” Mr Evans said.

The MCF will review the exposure draft of the Bill, which is expected to be available for comment in late November.

According to the MCF’s National Site Archive, nearly 4000 mobile network base stations have been established in Victoria since the early-mid 1990s, accounting for approximately 25% of the national total.