A temporary mobile phone tower at the edge of an inner-north heritage precinct would be an unsightly blight like "putting a cane toad in a bowerbird's nest", the leader of a residents' group has said.
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Marianne Albury-Colless, the president of the the Reid Residents' Association, said the 20-metre Optus tower should not be built in a heritage area.
Optus has lodged a development application for a $250,000 telecommunications tower to be built at the corner of Reid Park near the cricket practice nets.
The documents said the tower would be in place for about a year, and was needed to replace a soon-to-be-decommissioned tower in a city centre building.
The life of the temporary tower could be extended while a permanent site is found.
Ms Albury-Colless said it was a waste of money for Optus to build a temporary tower rather than seeking out a new permanent site, such as a tall building in the city centre.
"Temporary in these days is a slippery word. It doesn't pass the pub test as far as I'm concerned. ... We have the temporary Parliament House, it's still there thank goodness because it's elegant," she said.
"A telecommunications tower doesn't fit the bill."
A spokesperson for Optus said the company had no plans for the tower in Reid to become a permanent part of its network infrastructure.
"We are actively seeking a new permanent facility in the Canberra CBD to ensure strong connectivity for all our customers," the spokesperson said.
"Whilst remaining located at Customs House would be our preference, our relocation was requested as part of future plans for the building."
Ms Albury-Colless said the Reid Residents' Association was prepared to commission its own heritage advice, but believed the government should pay for an independent assessment while it did not have a functioning heritage council.
Heritage Minister Rebecca Vassarotti stood the heritage council down in November, and is yet to appoint an interim council.
Optus believes the tower can be built in the heritage precinct.
"The proposal is considered compatible with the objectives of the Reid Housing Precinct prepared by the ACT Heritage Council as a part of the interim Heritage Places Register," documents submitted to the planning authority said.
"The facility will not detrimentally affect the character or amenity of this historic precinct and the proposal is only temporary in nature."
The Reid housing precinct - an early 20th century garden city subdivision - is protected by ACT heritage laws.
Ms Vassarotti said the ACT heritage unit was exercising some council functions under delegation, especially in relation to heritage advice and approvals.
"In relation to the development application proposal for a telecommunications tower in Reid, ACT Heritage will provide advice to the ACT planning and land authority under delegation," Ms Vassarotti said in a statement.
"Under the provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2007, the ACT Planning and Land Authority must consider heritage advice on development applications. There are only limited circumstances where the [planning authority] can act inconsistently to that advice."
The Reid housing precinct's citation notes its heritage characteristics include "public utility services removed from the streetscape and located underground or at the rear of blocks".
"The philosophy behind Garden City planning was to create healthy working and living environments for urban residents. It developed internationally through the 1900s and many of the principles were integral to Walter Burley Griffin's winning design for the new Federal Capital of Australia," the citation said.
Ms Albury-Colless said the Reid Residents' Association had proposed to the ACT government the development of a management plan for Reid Park, which would cover park users and the area's heritage requirements.
The association told people who lived in the suburb in a newsletter this week there was a major risk the tower would remain in the park after it was installed.
"It is a much easier option than finding a new site and that applicant doesn't seem to have tried very hard so far," the newsletter said.
The newsletter also said the impacts of the tower had been downplayed by the proponent.
Nearby residents were also encouraged to "check the noise generated and the levels of radiofrequency and electromagnetic energy".
An Optus spokesperson said the tower would comply with Australian standards and be safe for users of Reid Park and surrounds.
MORE HERITAGE NEWS:
A report prepared by CommPlan Pty Ltd for Optus Mobiles Pty Ltd to support the proposal said the tower would not have an impact on the existing use of the park
"It will encourage economic development, employment growth and provide assistance to surrounding land use, through the provision of high-quality telecommunications services," the report said.
The report noted it would be visible in the surrounding area.
Ms Vassarotti stood the ACT's heritage council down in November 2022, following a report which found the council had become dysfunctional.
The council is consulted on development applications that affect heritage areas, but no council is currently in place.
The government has advertised positions for an interim council but has not yet appointed members.
A parliamentary inquiry and an internal government review are both currently considering the ACT's heritage arrangements.
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Jasper Lindell
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
