Oriental Bay cell site offends
BY JIM CHIPP - THE WELLINGTONIAN
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The Wellingtonian
Residents of Hay St in Oriental Bay are aggrieved that a second cellphone transmitter is to be installed on a neighbouring building.
Wellington City Council has issued Telecom with a certificate of compliance for seven panel antennae and three cabinets on the roof and upper walls of the Kensington apartment building.
The certificate means no resource consent is required.
Similar devices are operated by Vodafone on the same building.
Hay St resident Helen Foot has written to the apartment building body corporate secretary on behalf of 32 neighbouring residents, who include Trade Me millionaire Gareth Morgan, requesting a meeting with the apartment board before installation begins.
Ms Foot said recent research indicated that there could be serious adverse health effects from long-term exposure to this radiation.
"We are getting zapped now [by Vodafone] and we are going to get double-zapped soon."
A national environmental telecommunications standard was implemented in early 2008, which effectively exempted telecommunications equipment from the Resource Management Act or any council authority.
Equipment which complies with the maximum permissible emission level and size can be installed by telecommunications companies wherever they like, as of right.
Kensington Apartments board secretary Maggie Miller said the board would not meet with Hay St residents.
"We have declined the request on the basis that we have a legally-binding contract with Telecom. Regardless of anything else, we are simply not able to change that."
Ms Foot said Hay St residents were frustrated that they had no say on the location of the devices and were considering what subversive action they could take to compromise unwelcome cellphone sites.
Telecom communications executive Katherine Murphy said the company is always happy to listen to the concerns of residents but in this case have not heard from anyone.
"When looking into building new mobile sites we always consider any concerns residents may have, and balance those concerns with the demand for mobile services in the area."
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This is happening all over NZ, there is no concern for residents who are exposed to all risk while companies reap the profits. In Manukau city a cluster of cell phone antenna was installed on top of a commercial building which was opposite a much larger appartment building. Appartment residents are now perpendicular to the antenna and at 30 meters would be receiving significant amounts of microwave radiation.
absolutly no way you can get zapped. The transmission power is too low