Concern Over Phone Antennas

Illawarra Mercury

Thursday September 14, 2006

By LINTON BESSER

AT least one of 10 proposed mobile phone antennas in the Illawarra has already sparked community concern about its possible health impact.

3GIS, a combined Telstra, Hutchison company, is installing a series of mobile phone antennas to extend the new 3G mobile technology.

The "low impact" antennas are flagged for suburbs from Woonona to Dapto, to "in-fill" 3G service blackouts. But a Berkeley community organisation wants to know whether a planned antenna will affect the nearby Berkeley West Public School.

"The thing about it is whether it will affect the children when they are coming home, and what distances would it affect," said Alan Washbourne, president of the West Berkeley Neighbourhood Watch.

Three antennas are proposed on top of a light pole on the corner of Nolan St and Northcliffe Rd, several hundred metres from the school.

A Telstra representative will attend the committee's next meeting to answer residents' questions.

Telstra's area general manager for the Illawarra Pat Nolan said the emissions from the new sites were below the "minimum standard".