CommsDay reports today that a proposal by the NSW government to amend planning policy so the Federal government can roll out the National Broadband Network has met with largely positive response, according to the state department of planning.

State planning minister Kristina Keneally announced the proposed changes last month, calling on residents, industry and community groups to air their views on the alterations. The mooted changes include the classification of certain satellite dishes as ‘exempt development’ from planning approval requirements, and of telecommunications towers in rural areas as ‘complying development’.

“So far we’ve received 25 submissions, around half of them from local councils. There’re some from other government agencies and telecommunications organisations,” a spokesman for the department told CommsDay. “They cover a whole range of different issues, but they’ve all been very constructive submissions...none of the submissions are objecting to the proposal as a whole.”

“We’ll take into consideration all the submissions that we’ve received, and any amendments that are necessary as a result will obviously be incorporated.”

NSW premier Nathan Rees also launched the state’s bid for the NBN HQ yesterday.

The Mobile Carriers Forum has praised the Draft NSW Telecommunications Code including Broadband in its submission to the NSW Government.

The Code is designed to help facilitate the roll-out of mobile networks across New South Wales and the delivery of the National Broadband Network.

The Code, and enabling amendments to the State Environmental Planning Policy (Infrastructure) 2007, were placed on Exhibition following an announcement in Parliament in early June.

In its submission the MCF has welcomed the Code as Exhibited and the greater certainty it provides for all stakeholders including carriers, councils and consumers.

When announcing the Exhibition process the Minister stated: “The Code is designed to make it easier to approve broadband telecommunications facilities that meet community needs, while at the same time having minimal impact on communities”.

“Our goals in this regard are in alignment and we encourage the NSW Government to adopt the Code with only minor variations to the Exhibited documents”, said MCF Program Manager Matt Evans.

The Code provides specific rules for heights, location and siting for some forms of infrastructure, and incentives for the carriers to meet these requirements. It fills a gap and ensures consistency of assessment across NSW’s 152 Local Government areas.