This week the Mobile Carriers Forum wrote to the CEOs of 15 Councils in the Perth metropolitan area seeking their cooperation to remove restrictive policies from their local Planning Schemes regarding the siting of mobile network telecommunications facilities, such as new poles and antennas.

The move follows a review of Local Government Town Planning Schemes and Policies pertaining to telecommunications infrastructure undertaken earlier this year by Perth-based consultancy Planning Solutions. The research identified a number of Perth Local Governments, which incorporate within their planning mechanisms ‘buffer’ or ‘exclusion’ zones for new facilities, seeking to prevent the installation of telecommunications infrastructure in areas of high customer demand. This unduly constrains Carriers’ ability to deliver, and the community’s ability to use, an effective and functional mobile telecommunications network.

The Council Policies, which are purportedly based on the need to protect visual amenity, are in fact a reaction from Councils to concern about impact of radio frequency electromagnetic energy (EME) on perceived ‘sensitive areas’. A ‘sensitive area’ is generally defined in the Council policies as being residential areas or schools. The Carriers acknowledge that there is a degree of community concern regarding perceived health impacts of electromagnetic energy (EME) associated with mobile telephone networks. MCF Program Manager Matt Evans explained: “This is why the industry must apply a precautionary approach which requires the carriers to minimise emissions while maintaining quality phone calls. By imposing zones excluding a telecommunications facility Councils are directing Carriers to sites where they may in fact need to operate a facility at a higher power, resulting in higher EME exposures,” said Mr Evans.

“These Council Policies are so restrictive as to be pointless – the approval by the Council of almost any telecommunications facility within these 15 Councils will require a variation to the Council policy. That is, the policy will be so restrictive as to be dysfunctional and compliance by the Carriers is impossible”.

In its letter the MCF provided examples of legal precedents from the Western Australia Town Planning Appeal Tribunal decisions to demonstrate that the arbitrary imposition within these 15 Council Policies of exclusion zones is indefensible. “The MCF has asked for meetings with the 15 Councils to find a way forward” said Mr Evans.

In parallel with this direct approach to local Councils, the MCF continues to pursue changes to WA State Planning Policy to ensure that Councils cannot apply their policies that are inconsistent with State Policy, which does not include exclusion zones. The MCF remains hopeful that the new State Government will consider this proposal in early 2009 and the MCF will make representations to the new Minister for Planning before the end of this year.