NEWS FLASH...

Optus has withdrawn their application to install the mobile phone towers at 228 Gladstone Road!

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this outcome!!!!

Thank you everyone who attended our meeting on Sunday!

Please mark in your diaries our next meeting:

Community protest meeting Sunday 17 June at 11am

Here’s a brief synopsis of the meeting on Sunday:

·         St Ita’s Principal, Maureen Thomas, spoke eloquently about her concerns for the children and staff working at the school, and the community action group has her full support.

·         Dr Lisa Bohlscheid, a medical practitioner and concerned resident, spoke on the health implications for children and residents.

·         A representative from the No Towers Near Schools Group, Anna, gave us an overview of how the Bardon/Rainworth battle was won and how important it is for us to pull together as a community and not to give up – as this is what Optus wants!

·         Our local Councillor, Helen Abrahams, and State Member, Jackie Trad, both briefly addressed the meeting, from a Council and State Government perspective.  At the level of local government, our petition is to argue that the facility is not “low impact”.

·         At State Government level, a delegation is going to try to gain an appointment with the Minster for Housing & Public Works (Bruce Flegg) as soon as possible as the lease on the Dept of Housing building has not been completely finalized.  This is the Minister with the power to stop the lease process.

·         The Federal Member, Kevin Rudd, sent a representative along to the meeting also.

Thanks to all these speakers as well as Lindy Johnson, who chaired the meeting, and Andrew McInally, who gave an overview of the situation to date.

A community protest meeting is scheduled for Sunday 17 June at 11am.  Details are to be confirmed, but it is likely attendees will march down to the Department of Housing complex and back to the school.  Media will be in attendance, so please let everyone know and ask them to come along and support us in saying NO to Optus!!!

We have emailed everyone who gave their email address as being willing to help, with the aim of organizing people into teams according to their skills/background/interest.  Anyone who wants to help but has not received an email please contact us at duttonparkcommunity@gmail.com.

Action Meeting 3 June

Concerned local residents and the St Ita's School community
urge all local residents to attend a:

Community Action Meeting

We have only a short time to respond to this threat to our children and to all who live, work or go to school within a minimum 300 metre radius of the tower.

As the long-term effects of mobile phone tower radiation are unknown, it is vital that this tower be relocated to a safe location.

Please come along to find out more information and to support our school and local community in taking action against this proposal!

Sunday 3 June at 12 noon
in the covered play area
of St Ita's School on Gladstone Road 

For further information on how you can help, or any questions, contact the community organising committee via email:  duttonparkcommunity@gmail.com or

via Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/No-Towers-Near-St-Itas-School-Dutton-Park

Phone contact is Helen Abrahams (Councillor for the Gabba Ward) at 3403 2165 or email thegabba.ward@ecn.net.au

Please forward this information to anyone you feel should be made aware of this threat

Welcome and overview

Are You within 200 Metres of the new proposed Mobile Phone Tower at Dutton Park?

If you didn’t know, it is because the company installing it, Daly International acting for Optus, has not informed you.

Some residents received a letter on Tuesday this week informing them of the proposed installation.  Included with the letter was an outdated study on estimated Electro Magnetic Radiation.  The latest study that they did not see fit to include estimates twice the amount of radiation.  They have also only given us until 8^th June to respond.   Here’s the lowdown:

Where:  On top of the northern building of the Department of Housing complex at 228 Gladstone Road and therefore visible from Lindon Street.

Radiation facts:  Radiation is strongest between 50 and 200 metres from the tower and will have an effect on our immediate neighbourhood all the way over to St Ita’s School.

Who is affected?  In the letter it quotes the relevant ACMA Code for installing mobile phone infrastructure, which states:  (e) The company needs to consult Interested and Affected Parties, occupiers of community sensitive locations and relevant community stakeholders who were identified under clause 5.5.5.  Surely this includes:

·         The parents of children at St Ita’s School

·         The three aged community housing projects in the immediate area

·         The community housing at 228 Gladstone Road

·         The dwellings within at least the 200 metre radius of the tower

Optus and Daly international have not followed the code to contact the affected parties.

Other points to consider:  It will have a visual effect on our neighbourhood. We are in an area zoned character residential and the Department of Housing buildings are out of character with the area already:  and now the plan is for an ugly structure on top of the roof!

What can we do?  Contact Daly International’s Town Planner Alexandra Paras on 3077 7800 or email aparas@dalyinternational.com.au and ask for a copy of the letter if you have not received one.

One of the most effective forms of protest is to write a letter to Daly (level 2, 24 Little Edward Street, Spring Hill, 4000) or email.  Items of concern you could raise in your letter include:  Why was I not contacted, even though I’m in the radius affected?  Please explain why it is positioned so close to a school and community areas.  You may wish to express concern about the impact on the community, and possible health risks.

 http://www.facebook.com/duttonpark