With rural areas around the Victorian city of Ballarat being included in the trials of the wireless component of the National Broadband Network, there has been much said about the erection of telecommunications towers around the region.
There’s even been uneven responses from within the same local governments.
Well, at least there has been some sanity in the region about the towers:
| Learmonth Mobile Tower Goes Ahead Despite Objections |
“A TELECOMMUNICATIONS tower will be erected in Learmonth, despite six objections.”
“Councillors argued Learmonth was currently a communications black spot and needed the 35-metre tower to improve its mobile and wireless broadband coverage.”
I do understand that some people do object to these towers, and in a democratic society that right to object is fundamental.
But if you want to improve rural outcomes – (and Learmonth is a lovely little town) – you do have to improve services of all kinds in those rural localities. Including telecommunications.
Most of all, the comments from the locals are telling – (mind the spelling errors, these were copied verbatim):
“This is excellent news and we couldn’t be happier here in Learmouth. The Mobile, and other receptions here at Learmonth, are fairly ordinary. I knew of quite a few residents, who can’t get a Mobile phone reception at all. I know a few of the ones that are objecting to it we are quite amused, that the tower will be no where near their property.. Get with the times Crs Mcintosh, and Phillips, we are fed up with poor quality internet wei would prefer this any day than what was proposed, a couple of years a go the stinking Saleyards and Abattoirs.”
“Being a local to the lovely and historically significant Learmonth area, I fully support the erecting of the tower. ‘Serial complainers’ need to get a life!”
“Thank goodness common sense prevailed. Learmonth has very poor mobile phone signals, if any at all, and our internet is very slow at peek times. This will be our one shot at catching up with the rest of the world, so let’s take it. To those that complain about these towers being erected, perhaps you were unlucky you weren’t born in the stone age. Perhaps in the next lifetime you will be more lucky. Councillors McIntosh and Philips should do their home work as the tower will not be near any homes. I can’t bloody wait.”
While this tower in Learmonth doesn’t seem to be an NBN tower, with the noise being made around the region about them, perhaps looking at the Learmonth example – where common sense seems to be prevailing – would be more productive.
One does hope so.
There is nothing wrong with leading the world, and modern telecommunications is a key factor.
Do it for your children and grand children – they are the ones who’ll suffer in a broadband backwater if we don’t do it right.