A proposed 5G tower metres from a retired couple’s house has angered Waimapu St residents in Greerton.

They say they received little communication about its installation.

The street first received official notice from Connexa, the company responsible for building the tower, on March 12, with the letter dated March 4, resident Mike said.

“Only eight people received one [a letter].”

Connexa told Sun Media it wrote to 25 households and that cell towers had to meet strict safety standards.

The proposed tower will be close to the living room of one house, Coxon said.

“We’re talking eight metres from the berm to the lounge,” he said.

Resident Clare Hayes said there are also health and safety concerns with the installation of the tower, being so close to residents’ houses.

Signs along Waimapu St, protesting the proposed cell site.

“What is the impact of these towers being so close to people’s homes?”

Hayes and the residents are not opposed to 5G and tower installation but “just want the tower to go somewhere else”.

They don’t want the tower relocated to another unsuspecting street but somewhere like the nearby Greerton industrial area along SH29 and Oropi Rd.

The tower would be on a blind corner if it were to be installed at its current location and would be at the end of a span of road containing multiple driveways, she said.

Member of Parliament for Tauranga Sam Uffindell said he had received correspondence from concerned residents about the tower’s placement in Greerton.

“I can understand their concerns – very few people want a large tower outside their home.”

Tauranga MP Sam Uffindell. Photo / Alex Cairns

The cell site on Waimapu St will replace a streetlight in the road reserve designated for infrastructure such as power, water, sewerage, fibre cables, and cell sites, Connexa’s planning and engagement lead, Fiona Matthews, said in an email.

“It [the location] meets the planning rules, and it is within the search ring to provide the necessary capacity and coverage for the community.”

Alternative sites were considered but found unsuitable.

Matthews said the intersection of Fraser St, Chadwick St, and Oropi Road, along with Pemberton Park, was investigated as alternative locations.

“The location at Waimapu St was able to meet all of the criteria.”

She said the company wrote to properties within a 50m radius of the cell site.

“Connexa wrote to 25 property addresses. We have received inquiries from four properties.”

Thousands of cell sites are in road reserves outside residential properties throughout the country, alongside power lines, streetlights, bus shelters and other critical infrastructure, according to Matthews.

The cell site equipment can’t be hidden like power or fibre optic cables, so Connexa attempts to minimise visual impacts when possible, Matthews said.

Cell towers in New Zealand follow strict safety standards set by the Ministry of Health, typically operating well below the exposure limit, according to Matthews.

She said the radio waves used for mobile services are based on technology that has been used for over 100 years.

“Low emissions involve Wi-Fi, AM and FM radio, television broadcasting, cordless phones, radio-controlled toys and baby monitors.”

Residents want the tower relocated to a nearby industrial area, citing health and safety concerns.

The Resource Management Act covers the National Environmental Standards for Telecommunications Facilities, which allows the use of the road reserve for mobile network infrastructure.

Each district council plan sets the rules governing the height and position of mobile infrastructure, Matthews said.

“The Tauranga District Plan permits poles up to 26m in height for cell sites.”

Matthew said that the pole and cabinets are positioned 1500mm from the kerb side and that the council must assess the site location for road safety.

“Council provided no special conditions to Connexa within the relevant statutory timeframe.”

Tauranga City Council regulatory and compliance general manager Sarah Omundsen said in an email that Connexa is solely responsible for where the towers are to be sited.

“Telcos decide on the most appropriate sites for infrastructure to be placed.”

The national standards allow equipment such as cabinets and antennas to be located at the roadside, although they limit the number and size permitted, Omundsen said.

Resource consent for a tower may be required, for example, where the proposed infrastructure does not meet national standards, she said.

“However, in those instances, the council has limited ability to decline or require changes to the proposal.”

The residents of Waimapu St have launched a petition to gain more support.