Caroline Springs parents fear their children will be exposed to harmful radiation from a mobile phone tower erected close to schools and kindergartens.
The 30-metre tower has gone up at the Brookside Recreation Reserve after the council granted Vodafone a planning permit last August.
But locals say they weren’t aware of the telco’s proposal, or Melton council’s decision, until recently.
Caroline Springs father Seamus Ryan has accused Vodafone of choosing an inappropriate site that is “community sensitive” and of failing to inform locals and nearby schools of a “very major project”.
He has started a Facebook group, Residents against the mobile phone tower at Brookside Recreation Reserve, which gained almost 450 followers in less than a week.
“There’s never been a long-term study about the health effects of mobile phone towers,” Mr Ryan said. “But our concern is we don’t want to be the guinea pigs for this and find out 20 years down the track that there are health consequences.”
Mr Ryan said if the planning permit wasn’t reversed, he would consider enrolling his children, who study at at another school farther away from the site.
A Caroline Springs resident, who did not want to be named, said they were worried the thousands of students attending nearby schools, kindergartens and sporting clubs, would be exposed to harmful radiation.
“I’m sure if there had been the proper due diligence, a far more suitable place for this tower would have been found,” the resident said.
In a Facebook post, parents at Brookside P-9 College, which adjoins the reserve, said they were not aware of Vodafone’s plans until December.
Vodafone responds
A Vodafone spokeswoman said nearby residents were informed by letter of the plans for a tower, and three signs had been erected about the proposed plan.
“Vodafone conducted a thorough investigation of potential sites for a new telecommunications facility in the Caroline Springs area, and numerous sites were considered as part of the process,” the spokeswoman said.
She said the site’s appropriateness, planning considerations, and engineering and coverage capabilities were taken into consideration.
Melton council planning services manager Bob Baggio said four objections were received after Vodafone applied for its permit last year.
