Perth Voice Interactive

PLANS to erect a 29-metre telecommunications tower near a Morley suburban street has the local ratepayers’ association fuming.

Commander Telephone Services wants to erect the tower beside its warehouse on Boag Road, 185m from houses on Drake Street and around 210m from residences on Walter Road West.

The tower would be used for private communication between two sites owned by Commander and have a maximum transmission of 500 megawatts.

Tony Green, president of the Bayswater City Residents’ Association, says the tower is over-specced.

“Unless its other factory is on Mars, then 500 megawatts is well over the top,” he says.

“You could fry an egg on Jupiter with that.

“We need some clarification on the radiated power that would be used—there’s homes nearby and the tower would back onto Bunnings.”

Bayswater council officers wrote the tower is at odds with the council’s 2010 Morley city centre master plan.

“The majority of development adjoining the subject site does not have a height greater than two storeys and will not mask the appearance of the tower; rather the tower will be clearly seen from residential areas which is considered to have an undue impact on the aesthetics and amenity of the locality,” staff wrote.

Councils have no powers when it comes to most towers: they are merely consulted and their views taken into account, but companies enjoy sweeping powers under federal law to override objections.

“Low-impact” facilities—defined as those below 5m in height which are not too visibly obtrusive—are under the purview of the federal government.

As the tower is less than 250 metres from a residential area it will come before council for a vote later this month.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK