Cell tower erected without notice

Worried residents have slammed the Manukau City Council for the "underhand" approval of a cellphone tower at Hunters Corner.

The 23-metre Telecom tower was given a resource consent in May last year without public notification.

The first neighbours knew was when building started recently in the carpark behind 283 Great South Rd.

Homeowner Debbie Allen says there was no warning from council or Telecom.

"We’re in shock."

With children still at home she’s unhappy about the health risks of having a tower "right over my back fence".

Although the tower’s in a carpark behind a commercial building, it backs right on to "many, many homes".

"It’s cut the value of our land in half and put everybody in danger."

Commercial property owner Steve McHugh says the tower’s approval was "underhand".

"The first thing we knew about it was a big hole being dug in the ground."

He is worried about the health implications for his tenants and their employees.

"Telecom has a dossier on how it won’t affect property values and how it’s safe but I can’t help thinking it’s propaganda.

"There’s lots of literature saying these towers don’t cause problems with radiation but it’s not conclusive."

He says neighbours are going to have trouble renting or selling because no buyer will want to be so close to a tower.

"Why would anyone want to work or live under that?"

Council staff told him that because there’s no proof the tower is hazardous no one would be adversely affected so there was no need to consult neighbours.

"What a load of rubbish. They didn’t want protests so they chose to push it through."

The non-notified consent has also upset the Papatoetoe Community Board.

Chairman Stephen Grey says the board now wants to be told of any cellphone tower application before any decision by council staff.

"Since these towers are a contentious issue the council should err on the side of caution to make sure processes are open and there’s consultation."

Mr Grey says his personal view is that all cellphone tower applications should be publicly notified.

Council resource consents leader Brett O’Shaughnessy says the public wasn’t notified because no one other than the site’s landowner was considered likely to be adversely affected.

It met all the relevant standards for noise, radio frequency radiation, design, appearance and potential adverse impact on adjacent properties, he says.

But Todd Pearce, whose caryard is next door to the "seriously ugly" cellphone tower, says the council’s being "hypocritical".

To build or demolish anything on his own property he had to "inform the whole world".

"But when it comes to something like this when the public really is at risk and deserves to be informed, it’s carte blanche."

"It’s infuriating especially when the council has a big park across the road and a massive carpark empty most of the time. It could have put it there."

But he and Mr McHugh have abandoned plans to challenge the resource consent on legal advice that it would be costly and a "futile waste of time".

Pearce Brothers salesman Lance Mackay isn’t convinced cellphone towers are harmful.

"Unless I get a third arm growing out of my back, I’m not fazed about it."

But colleague Jade Karaitiana disagrees.

"If they’re warning you about using the cellphone too much, I’d hate to see what that pumps out."

Telecom spokeswoman Helen Isbister says the site was chosen because it provides the best cellphone coverage and the landowner was willing to lease it out.

- © Fairfax NZ News