PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION TO STOP TPG MOBILE PHONE ANTENNAS BEING INSTALLED IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS.

The current Telecommunication (Low Impact Facilities) Determination 2018-which passed the Federal Parliament earlier this year, allows telecommunications companies to install ‘Low Impact’ cell phone infrastructure on any existing electricity pole that suits their purposes. These antennas are referred to as ‘Low Impact’, as they are visually unobtrusive. The legislation has effectively gagged the community of their rights and has allowed TPG to fly under the radar as they do not require local or state government approval prior installing these antennas. TPG is setting a precedent in installing these antennas in residential streets metres away from young children’s bedrooms, with no regard to the potential health risks on nearby the residents and their children.

The precautionary principle in the telecommunications industry code is being ignored by TPG. Some of these antennas are within 200 metres of community sensitive locations such as kindergartens and schools. This is not in compliance with the Australian Industry Code Standards (C564:2011, Clause 4.1.5.c&d).  In NSW, the Department of Education and Communities advises any telecommunications infrastructure at a distance of at least 500 metres from the boundary of a school property. This is a precautionary approach to ensure electromagnetic radiation to children is minimised.  There are currently no concrete studies that prove electromagnetic radiation is harmless to children in the long term. The definitive data on long term continuous exposure to electromagnetic radiation may take another 20 years to become available. The scientific community is very much divided on the issue and there are many unanswered questions about long term health impacts. They have also failed to adequately notify all residents within close proximity of the antennas, even those considered as community sensitive locations. There has been no meaningful consultation and despite strenuous and unanimous objections by concerned residents TPG intend to go ahead. The consultation period is really a notification period, there is no negotiation and the outcome is already predetermined. In some sites they have even commenced installations before the consultation period had closed.

We also have issue with the term ‘community sensitive locations’ in the code as this places an arbitrary moral judgement on the wellbeing of one group of people over another group of people. Why isn’t the future health of the individual child and/or person forced to live next to one of these antennas considered worthy of protection. These antennas will expose our homes to long term continuous 24/7 electromagnetic radiation. As the ARPANSA (Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency), Radiation Protection Standard states in its foreword,“There is currently a level of concern about RF exposure, which is not fully alleviated by the existing scientific data. It is true that data regarding biological effects, at levels below the limits specified in the Standard, are incomplete and inconsistent. The health implications for these data are not known and such data could not be used for setting the levels of the basic restrictions in the Standard.”

In addition, the World Health Organisation EMF Project and the Health Effects of EMF Exposure state,“there are gaps in knowledge still needing to be filled before better health risks assessments can be made”.

While TPG claim this is a 4G rollout, one of their representatives at a local community meeting hosted by John Pesutto on the 29/10/18 stated that it will in fact be upgraded to 5G in the future. Worryingly there has been no long term testing of 5G technologies as it is so new and it will be years before the true health effects can be accurately assessed.  As 5G frequency waves do not travel as far, this rollout will also require many antennas located approximately 500 metres apart. Anyone with an electricity pole in front of their house or in close proximity of their house is at risk of having mobile phone equipment installed on it.

Currently, the organisations with the most financial gain (TPG with serious vested interest in this both financially and commercially, Citipower who’s being financially reimbursed, and the Australian Government who sold the bandwidth to TPG) have all the power in determining the locations of these mobile phone facilities, however the residents whose health is being put at risk in the long term, have no say at all. All the organisations we can object to have a vested interest in this rollout going ahead. Every decision is made based on the best interests of the financial stakeholders and the residents who have nothing to gain and potentially the most to lose have no power at all. This is not a risk we are choosing to take; it is a risk being imposed on us by force and without choice!

This entire rollout smacks of corporate greed and is manifestly unjust. If the Banking Royal Commission has taught us anything it’s that big business does not necessarily have the community’s best interests at heart. We do not want to be the ‘canaries in the coal mine’ for EMR radiation. It is a fundamental right to feel safe and secure in your own home; TPG has taken that right away from us and they must be stopped!

Your street could be the next target for TPG or other telcos to install mobile phone equipment. Please sign our petition and give us all back that right. Help us to regain the power to determine what risks we are willing to take in regards to our own health and the future wellbeing of our children.

Camden Rd, Hawthorn                     RFNSA Site No.3122030

Elliott Avenue, Balwyn                      RFNSA Site No. 3103019

Maling Rd, Canterbury                      RFNSA Site No. 3126008

Myrtle Rd, Canterbury                       RFNSA Site No. 3124037

Cameron Court, Kew.                        RFNSA Site No. 3101031