PUBLIC submissions objecting or supporting the latest iteration of a telecommunications tower proposed for Wards Hill Rd, Killcare Heights are piling up on Council’s website.
The second push for the tower comes as the court awards costs for the first proposal which went to the Land and Environment Court recently after the Local Planning Panel approval was challenged.
A local landowner, Tony Denny, won the case with the judge deciding the approval by the Local Planning Panel (LPP) was invalid on two bases of legal error.
The judge has since awarded costs to the landowner, meaning the council will be picking up the costs, despite being the third respondent in the case.
Respondent one, Optus, argued it was the decision of the second respondent, the LPP, and not Optus’ application that was being judged.
The Court agreed.
It’s a long story and it isn’t over yet.
It began years ago with residents in the area complaining about lack of mobile phone and data reception.
Then in 2018, Telstra received funding from the Federal Government’s Black Spot program to solve the issue.
The job was outsourced to Optus which put in a Development Application for a tower to Central Coast Council.
The application was approved by the LPP but then went to the Land and Environment Court which made the adverse finding.
Just by the way, Council is a respondent in more than 15 cases coming up in the LEC over the next three weeks.
Meanwhile, Optus put in to council a second development application for the tower and that application is open for public comment.
You have until July 3 to have your say on the latest plan. As the screenshot explains, there is a bit of confusion over the deadline.
Optus Mobile Pty Ltd is – again – proposing to install the telecommunications base station at 37 Wards Hill Road, Killcare Heights.
The plan involves the erection of a 30 metre monopole, installation of nine panel antennas, two equipment shelters at the base of the monopole and associated ancillary equipment.
Elsewhere in the proposal it states that the steel monopole would have an overall structure height of about 32.5 metres.
Go here to see more on this particular proposal: https://eservices.centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/…/EnquiryDeta…
You’re looking for the details about the proposal and that can be found in a document called the Statement of Environmental Effects.
There are more than 80 development proposals currently on public exhibition.
Check them out here:
