Ballarat City Council’s Special Planning Committee has approved a telecommunications facility for Humffray Street North.
It will include a 25 metre high telecommunications tower and six panel antennas to an overall height of 26.3 metres.
The land is included in a Mixed Use Zone, with a mixture of commercial, industrial and residential uses and development surrounding the site.
Fourteen objections were received to the proposal, with grounds including:
- Visual impact
- Heritage impact
- Amenity impacts
- Questioning the need for a telecommunications tower
- Alternative locations
- Health concerns
However, the Special Planning Committee felt there was strong policy support at both state and local government level for telecommunication facility and infrastructure provision.
Visual impact would also be reduced by its setback distance from Victoria, Mair and Humffray streets, its slimline monopole design and the site’s industrial/commercial setting.
The facility must also comply with radiation protection standards and have its electromagnetic levels measured regularly.
Overall, it was felt the positive social and economic benefits for the surrounding area of improved telecommunications would outweigh the potential negative impacts.
