Mayor backs calls over cell sites

BY DIANA WORTHY

Auckland City mayor John Banks is backing calls for wider community consultation by telcos in the wake of new Waiheke Island protests.

The mayor has confirmed his support for a group of Surfdale residents that want Vodafone to halt its plans to install cell masts above the bowling club.

Nearby residents have received letters from Vodafone saying masts planned for Marama Avenue will go up next month.

Legislation by the last government has enabled telecommunication companies to erect masts without resource consent notification.

Surfdale group Andrew Crawford, Stephanie Honeychurch and Dr Stuart Reuben have been fighting for Vodafone to consult with residents for the past 18 months.

They say the company is going ahead with its plans and has ignored pleas to talk to neighbours living within range of the emissions, including schools.

Auckland Central MP Nikki Kaye and Auckland City’s Hauraki Gulf islands’ councillor Denise Roche have been supporting their cries.

Their backing has drawn the interest of mayor John Banks and Auckland City Council councillor Aaron Bhatnager – city development committee chairman.

Mayor Banks says telecommunication companies are using non-notification, opposed by council but sanctioned by government, to do what they want.

“Vodafone is putting towers up right across our beautiful city. At the very least, we would expect comprehensive consultation.”

But Vodafone national site acquisition manager Justin Rae says the company has consulted Surfdale residents.

He says he and company representatives addressed around 30 people at a Waiheke public forum specifically about telecommunication activities, held in April 2009.

“The majority of the evening was spent discussing the Surfdale Bowling Club site. We ran through the history of the site, the technical requirements, and Vodafone set out the alternatives we had considered.

“There was quite a bit of Q & A, so it was quite interactive.”

Mr Rae says he followed up enquiries after the event and the company’s community relations unit had been in frequent touch with Mr Crawford a year or so ago.

Since then, he says, the company had received infrequent enquiries but he had responded to letters this January from Mr Crawford, Ms Honeychurch, and Dr Reuben.

Mr Rae says letters sent to neighbours this month about the construction of the cell mast site had enclosed further information.

Residents say the further information focused more on cell phone use than the sites themselves.

Ms Kaye and Mr Bhatnager are both keen to see concerns resolved.

Ms Kaye is a member of the environment and local government select committee engaged in hearings on government’s third supercity bill but says she will get leave to attend a meeting over the cell site issue.

She says Vodafone is arranging a meeting this week with members of the Surfdale group, herself, Mr Bhatnager and, possibly, council’s utilities manager.

Ms Kaye says Mr Bhatnager pushed for the meeting to happen and she is confident it will provide a chance to resolve issues.

Mr Bhatnager has already asked Vodafone to delay putting up the mast, to consult with the community, and to try and find another location for its cell site.

The councillor met with Mr Rae last week and says discussions were constructive.

Mr Bhatnager says he was happy to facilitate the meeting now being planned and sympathises with Mr Crawford’s concerns over emission health risks to his family.

Group member Dr Reuben says he has scientific proof of health risks from mast emissions, which he says has been so far ignored by government.

He told a meeting of around 30 people on Saturday how government’s inter-agency committee on health had just one medical professional sitting on it, Dr David Black.

Dr Reuben said nearly all the other members came from industry.

“We’re soon going to have a telecommunications industry that’s as big as tobacco.”

Labour list MP Jacinda Ardern – the party’s potential Auckland Central candidate – was also at the meeting and says communities have a right to be heard.

She believes the situation highlights the need for a strong community voice in both the Resource Management Act reforms and the supercity.

Surfdale group member Andrew Crawford is determined to give neighbours a voice.

He and other group members are urging people to erect “Shame on You, Vodafone” banners outside their homes and speak out if they do not want the masts to go up.

“The bottom line is we have to mobilise ourselves now to look out for our home patch.”

 

- Waiheke Marketplace