A newly installed cell phone tower near Welcome Bay School has got one resident concerned about the potential effect on students.

Welcome Bay local John McLaughlin says the cell phone tower was installed a block away from the school last week. Set up at the corner of Esmerelda St and Welcome Bay Rd about 600m from Welcome Bay School's grounds, John's concerns about the cell phone tower are 'the possible effects from radiation”.

'It hasn't been proved but it hasn't been disproved. I'm just worried that they [the students] will get some kind of effect later in life or something like that.”

'Exposed to children”

John says his own kids went to Welcome Bay School and he also has a grandson that attends.

'I mean to me it's almost as bad as putting a vape business next to a school.

'When you've got hills not that far away it seems silly to put one there, right by a school.

'This is exposed to children and adults at the shopping centre, there's a kids day-care between the school and the tower as well.”

Tauranga City Council's general manager of regulatory and compliance Sarah Omundsen says: 'the National Environmental Standard specifies the radiofrequency emissions permitted for towers and in this instance 2Degrees have provided a report showing compliance with the Standard”.

A 2Degrees spokesperson says: 'The site was chosen as the best location to meet the needs for the community, and tower meets the safety standards set by the Ministry of Health. We use Ericsson equipment, and Ericsson is the world leader in this technology, and used worldwide”.

Consents and consultation

Having called council asking who consents to the installation of cell phone towers, John says he was told by a council representative that this has 'nothing to do with the local council but was signed off on a national level”.

Sarah says the installation and/or maintenance of cell phone towers in our region 'may require consent from the relevant district council, and/or the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, depending on the specifics of the proposal in relation to relevant plans, and the National Environmental Standard for Telecommunication Facilities 2016.”

In this instance, she says: 'The tower at the corner of Welcome Bay Road and Esmeralda Street was installed by 2Degrees Network Ltd, and is subject to a resource consent issued by Tauranga City Council”.

For John, he says he would like to see 'more consultation” regarding cell phone tower installations.

'Particularly when I don't know if they've contacted the school or not, but I don't think the school would've been too pleased about it.”

Sarah says: 'Community consultation is guided by the Resource Management Act, which sets out the criteria for whether or not consultation is required, and who should be notified.”

Welcome Bay School was approached by the Weekend Sun and did not wish to comment.