A phone tower proposed for the western edge of Tanunda has been approved by a council development assessment panel.
As reported on Thursday on barossaherald.com.au, the decision to approve the application had most of the 50-member gallery storming out of the Light Regional Council (LRC) Development Assessment Panel (DAP) meeting at Hewett Community Centre last Wednesday.
The group of Tanunda residents opposing the 28-metre phone tower proposed for a Smythe Road property now awaits the decision of the South Australian Development Assessment Commission (DAC).
Development approval is only granted if the DAC concurs with the DAP’s decision. Mike Brooksby, one of the residents opposing the tower, said the group is hoping the DAC refuses the proposal.
“If that doesn’t take place and they concur (with) the decision to grant approval, that is when we need to get together as a group to determine how we are going to tackle it,” Mr Brooksby said.
“There have been some discussions about obtaining some professional planning and legal advice to basically ascertain what avenues we have got.
“We won’t do anything in regard to that until we know what actually happens at the DAC.”
Mr Brooksby said if there is any action taken by those opposed to the tower; it would have to be agreed upon by the group.
“The important thing is that we are going to look at it as a community group,” he said.
“Our community group is a group of people who are very concerned about the decision and the impact it is going to have on our locality and its amenity.
“We are fighting against Vodafone, which is a multi-national company with lots of resources to throw at a project like this.”
Before making its decision, the DAP inspected the Smythe Road property where the tower is proposed to be built, where a crane was extended to reach the 28-metre height of the proposed tower to give panel members a better insight into the possible impact it could have on the view.
It then heard representations from a dozen people and spent more than an hour asking questions of the applicant before coming to its decision.
Presiding member of the DAP, Bruce Ballantyne, said the decision was made based on the information in the application, comments from council planners, both written and verbal representations, the development plan and development act.
“The panel certainly was respectful for the importance of the Barossa Valley, its heritage, its importance to tourism, and that was taken into consideration,” he said.
“But again, at the end of the day, we have to make a decision that is in accordance with the provisions of the development plan and the act.”
The DAC is expected to consider the application in late January, 2012.
Patsy Biscoe, co-chair of the Tanunda Town Committee said she was "astonished" the DAP had approved the tower.
“It is a very sad result for Tanunda,” she said.
“It is going to affect the tourism district of Tanunda, there is nothing surer. It is an important tourist trail along there, people drive along there to get to Seppeltsfield.
“They drive along to see the ridge, which is absolutely unsullied, it is just pristine.”
Ms Biscoe said she could not understand why such a large tower had to be built.
“Why are they trying to go all the way out to the west?” she asked.
“Why not two more discreet towers, one in Tanunda somewhere appropriate, and one out there to the west?”
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