Telecom admits mistakes over cellphone towers

Telecom today said it could have recognised community concerns about cellphone towers better.

Telecom representatives today fronted up to the local government select committee which is considering a petition signed by more than 3000 people opposed to a cellphone tower at Atawhai in Nelson by a Playcentre.

The petition, started by Nelson group Ban the Tower, calls for no towers within 1km of schools and pre-schools and for consultation before towers could be erected.

The committee has also heard from concerned citizens in other areas including Titahi Bay in Porirua. Opponents are worried about possible health risks and visual pollution.

Telecom was accused of erecting the towers without notice or consultation.

Telecom head of government and community relations Dean Schmidt recognised things could have been handled better.

"Telecom recognise we haven't recognised the community engagement at Atawhai and subsequently in Titahi Bay as well as those communities would have expected."

He said Telecom was working with communities to find satisfactory alternative sites.

About 60 towers were built a year for the 4 million mobile devices (cellphones but also things like wireless cards) used in New Zealand.

Sites were built to improve services and a radio frequency report done for each one.

Telecom said often complaints were about height yet higher towers gave off less radiation.

Telecom local government and community relations manager Paul Leslie the company did consult with communities and complied with requirements under the Resource Management Act.

He said Telecom talked to local councils and, even when there was no requirement to consult, informed neighbours adjacent to sites.

"We don't just plough through and build sites overnight and people wake up to find them there the next morning."

Telecom had stopped projects in both Atawhai and Titahi Bay because of community concerns.

National's Nick Smith welcomed Telecom's approach.

"I'm pleased you've come along this morning with a mea culpa and said you could have done better."

He accepted towers needed to be near customers but putting one on the corner of a playcentre seemed extreme.

Telecom said the site was chosen because it was zoned commercially and an existing telephone exchange building was there but accepted that the use was different.

Dr Smith said Telecom needed to find a middle ground to apply nationwide.

Mr Schmidt said while sites were safe they preferred not to build near schools.

Green MP Sue Kedgley said close neighbours were only told shortly before construction started and that was not genuine consultation.

Ms Kedgley questioned officials from the health and environment ministries about the New Zealand Standard for radiofrequency radiation fields.

The Environment Ministry submission said the standard set limits for public exposure 50 times lower than the level at which health effects could occur.

Environment Minister manager of RMA implementation Craig Mallett said there were controls on siting of towers under district plans and the plans were extensively consulted.

He said councils could put controls on things like height limits; "but it shouldn't be used a backdoor method to control the radiation issue".

Ms Kedgley argued that there was research showing adverse health effects.

She asked if the Crown would be liable for compensation if there were found to be health effects.

Mr Mallett said he was unsure but "possibly".

He said the standard was based on the best evidence and science available.

Dr Smith said cellphone and microwave use were more worrying as the levels of radiation were far higher.

- NZPA