New mobile phone tower on the way

New Telstra tower for Glass House

Sunshine Coast Council is set to assess another telecommunications tower application in Glass House Mountains, this time from Telstra as part of the federal government’s mobile black spot program.

The material change of use application proposes a 41.1m monopole tower on private land at 8 Woodrows Road, Glass House Mountains to provide “… improved 4G telecommunications services within the Glass House Mountains area and surrounding localities”.

According to the planning documents, the site was selected as the most appropriate location based on planning scheme considerations, technical and coverage objectives, cost considerations, land tenure, visual impact and engineering/design criteria.

Sixteen possible locations were assessed with 8 Woodrows Road determined as the most suitable.

Council’s planning scheme requires telecommunication towers to be sited more than 400m from residences. This location has three houses within this perimeter but Telstra considers this inconsequential as the “… residences are buffered from the proposal by significant mature vegetation and terrain change that would likely reduce the visual impact to the residential areas”.

No vegetation is to be cleared during the construction and screening plantings will be used to help hide the ancillary structures associated with the pole tower.

The application is classified as impact assessable, meaning that it will be advertised and locals will have the chance to make public submissions.

To read more go to https://developmenti.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au and search for MCU19/0228.