Carramar Golf Course. Photo: Martin Kennealey
Camera IconCarramar Golf Course. Photo: Martin Kennealey Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Wanneroo Council approves monopoles to improve mobile reception in Carramar and Butler

Lucy JarvisWanneroo Times

A MONOPOLE on a golf course could improve mobile phone reception in Carramar and surrounding suburbs.

Wanneroo Council approved Aurecon’s application on behalf of Telstra for a 30m monopole in Carramar Golf Course, near Tranquil Drive, at its July meeting.

A report to the council had recommended it be refused given the site was located within a parks and recreation zone.

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The plan was originally presented at the June council meeting, but referred back after Aurecon’s Joel Gajic highlighted the benefits of the site, including that it was not near houses or sensitive land uses.

At the time, councillor Paul Miles asked whether alternative sites could be considered as parts of Carramar and Banksia Grove were in “huge black holes for mobile communications”.

City of Wanneroo approval services manager Pas Bracone presented the revised report at the July briefing session, and said the visual impact of the monopole would not be a big concern but staff still recommended refusal.

“They are proposing to utilise an area where it’s clear and there’s already a track in place,” he said.

“It’s not consistent with the parks and recreation of the golf course.”

Cr Brett Treby said having a phone tower in the middle of a golf course would not detract from the local area.

Asked whether other providers would “piggy back” on the tower, Mr Bracone said the monopole could accommodate more than one provider’s equipment and most usually had antennas for at least three providers.

“As demand grows, telecommunications providers will need to provide more equipment,” he said.

After the recommendation to refuse the plan lapsed at the July 24 meeting, councillors unanimously supported an alternative motion to approve the monopole.

“We would be hard pressed to find a location for the facility that’s going to have less impact than what this does,” Cr Samantha Fenn said.

She said there had been many complaints about the level of reception in recent years and the monopole would support telecommunications needs as the Neerabup industrial area developed.

At the same meeting, the council approved Service Stream’s application for an Optus monopole on a Landbeach Boulevard site.

The 31m monopole will be installed on the National Storage warehouse site, owned by The Trust Company.

The July 24 council report said the City received six submissions during public consultation, with five of those objecting to the proposal due to its impact on amenity and proximity to houses.

It said, as a result of the submissions, the applicant reduce the width of the structure to minimise its visual impact.