NBN Co has again taken plans for a controversial high-speed internet tower in Yendon back to the drawing board.
The company last week asked Moorabool Council to defer consideration of its amended application. As previously reported in the Weekly , errors pointed out by residents led to NBN Co resubmitting its application for a 40-metre wireless internet tower.
Minor errors in the revised application resulted in the matter being deferred until the next meeting of the council on June 6.
Mayor Pat Griffin said that prior to the second application being tabled at last week’s meeting, residents who had opposed the tower agreed to compromise with NBN Co and the landowner ‘hosting’ the tower. The proposed tower was to be moved 240 metres west from the nearest house.
Yendon resident Kay Paton and eight other objectors had flagged possible health and radiation risks, visual aesthetics and inadequate consultation as reasons for opposing the plan.
“We went to a lot of effort with the objection; I wouldn’t call it a victory but this has been a fight,” she said.
“There should have been consultation right at the beginning.
“As much as we want underground cabling and don’t want a tower, there’s no way we will get that. To jump up and down and be silly about it isn’t going to work so you just have to compromise.”
Cr Griffin said that while the council agreed that NBN Co had not consulted enough with the community in the beginning, this had improved.
“They should have spoken to the residents before applying for the permit late last year; that’s the bottom line,” he said.
Cr Griffin said there was “nothing shifty” about the company’s decision to defer the matter until its next meeting.
NBN Co community relations advisor
Tony Gibbs said the company had in March hosted five community information sessions in Yendon, Wallace, Gordon, Linton and Lal Lal.
“If it’s approved we will work towards building the facility as soon as possible to ensure the local community has access to
high-speed broadband,” Mr Gibbs said.
