FOLLOWING community concern over the development and siting of telecommunications towers, Council resolved to develop a policy that outlines preferred design and siting criteria for telecommunications infrastructure in instances where City of Coffs Harbour has a role in the development process.

A Draft Provision of Telecommunications Infrastructure Policy will now be placed on public exhibition during November 2022.

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An earlier draft policy was considered by Council in October 2021 and was deferred to allow the inclusion of further provisions from an industry code such as setbacks, materials and finishes, co-location, site selection and advertising requirements.

The resolution of October 2021 stated that Council:

1. Defer consideration of this report pending inclusion of further recommendations from industry Code C564:2020 mobile phone base station deployment regarding site selection, design, operation, community engagement and the application of the Precautionary Principle.

Specifically:

1.1. The addition of a preference for adequate setbacks from sensitive land uses and inclusion of definition of ‘sensitive lands’;

1.2. Further reference to materials and finishes being sympathetic to the surrounding landscape;

1.3. Requirement of design to accommodate future co-location;

1.4. Provision of written procedures for new site selection from 4.1.4 of the code; and

1.5. Ensure proposed telecommunications infrastructure shall be advertised by City of Coffs Harbour to owners and occupiers within a 250m radius of the proposed infrastructure location.

The resolution has now been addressed in the revised Draft Provision of Telecommunications Infrastructure Policy.

Revisions have also been made to the Coffs Harbour Development Control Plan (DCP) 2015 – Amendment No. 23 (Telecommunications Facilities) and the City of Coffs Harbour Community Participation and Engagement Plan to reflect Council’s resolution.

All three documents will be placed on public exhibition during November via the City of Coffs Harbour Have Your Say website.

Following public exhibition, a further report will be brought back to Council on the draft Policy.