Decision on tower deferred

THE concerns of parents have been heard with Tweed Shire Council halting an Optus telecommunications tower being built within 300m of a school ... for now.

Councillors deferred the decision on the proposed telecommunication tower to instead organise a meeting between the Tweed Valley Adventist College principal, P&C president, Optus and the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPNSA).

More than 40 objections were received regarding the 30m-high tower to be built at the Muwullimbah Golf Course, with most citing radiation fears.

The New South Wales Department of Education gave the council advice that it recommended telecommunication towers should be built no closer than 500m from schools.

However, the leading agency for radiation emissions ARPNSA approved the development.

Cr Ron Cooper said it was important parents and students were presented with the facts to know if the tower could be harmful.

“If you have parents who are worried about, this rightly or wrongly, then you have kids who are worried about it,” he said

“If they have an understanding from the parents about the issue they too will be comfortable and can focus on their education.”

The deferral was voted in five votes to two, councillor Warren Polglase and Pryce Allsop voted against it.