Greens Councillor Rochelle Flood Only Lane Cove Councillor to Vote Against a Report on 5G Electromagnetic Radiation Exposure in Lane Cove Popular Areas Like The Canopy

On Thursday, 20 July 2023, Lane Cove Council debated a notice of motion tabled by Councillors Mort and Bennison (Liberals) recommending Lane Cove Council submit a request to the Federal Government to fund an investigation by an independent assessor to measure exposure to electromagnetic radiation in a number of sample sites in Lane Cove, including The Canopy, Rosenthal Avenue Arcade (79-83 Longueville Road), and 3 Rosenthal Ave (the area overlooking The Canopy playground). It was also recommended that an Independent Assessor prepare a report that includes a review of the health impacts after being exposed to the electromagnetic radiation levels identified in these areas (copy of the complete notice of motion below in background).

Councillor Kathryn Mort  (Liberal) and Councillor David Roenfeldt (Labor) spoke in favour of the motion.

Councillor Mort said that initially, she did not think that 5G radiation was a health concern, but after reviewing the literature, she felt an investigation was necessary.  She said, “we just don’t know”.

Councillor Roenfeldt supported the motion on the basis that the results would be on the public record.

Councillor Rochelle Flood (Greens) spoke against the motion.  Councillor Flood noted that she had undertaken research when locals started raising the issue of 5G safety, and she could not find any research to back up the claims that exposure to 5G may result in adverse health impacts.

Cover Photo:  Image: AMTA and Communications Alliance/Parliament of Australia.

Background

Notice of Motion

Lane Cove Council:

• Submit a request to the Federal Government to fund an investigation by an independent assessor to measure exposure to electromagnetic radiation in a number of sample sites in Lane Cove, including The Canopy, Rosenthal Avenue Arcade (79-83 Longueville Road), and 3 Rosenthal Ave (the area overlooking The Canopy playground). The Independent Assessor is to prepare a report that includes a review of the health impacts after being exposed to the electromagnetic radiation levels identified in these areas.
• Write to the Member for North Sydney, Kylea Tink MP, requesting her support to lobby the Federal Government to undertake an investigation to ensure community safety where 5G technology cell towers are located in close proximity to schools and residences.
• Make a formal request to Randwick City Council to provide copies of any officer reports, community submissions and related correspondence concerning their decision not to support the installation of TPG 5G technology cell towers and seek clarification on the reasons behind their decision.
• Contact Telstra, Optus, TPG and Vodafone to obtain:
  • Comprehensive product information regarding the new 5G technologies, including the process for testing air quality and radiation once towers are installed;
  • Details of how tower placement is determined, what factors are considered, and how they consult with businesses and residents;
  • Details about the types of radiation emitted by the infrastructure, their levels, installation guidelines for contractors, the ability to adjust radiation emissions, methods for measuring emissions, ongoing monitoring practices, and infrastructure lifespan; and
  • details about planned locations, including the less obvious and concealed cell towers and antennas.
• Write to the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) to confirm the types of radiation emitted by 5G technology, established emission levels at safe distances from humans, research sources relied upon to assert the safety of 5G technology (including authorship and publication dates), whether non-thermal impacts on human health are considered in the research, methods for measuring the safety levels of emissions from 5G infrastructure, associated costs of obtaining measurement equipment, and the responsible authority for industry regulation ensuring adherence to safety and health standards.

Lane Cove Council officers are to come back with a report after all the above steps have been taken.

The following documents were attached to the notice of motion:

Guide to Mobile Phone Base Station Deployment
The Lancet Planetary Health, Dec 2018

The Lancet Planetary Health Article concluded with the following paragraph:

“At a time when environmental health scientists tackle serious global issues such as climate change and chemical toxicants in public health, there is an urgent need to address so-called electrosmog. A genuine evidence-based approach to the risk assessment and regulation of anthropogenic electromagnetic fields will help the health of us all, as well as that of our planetary home. Some government health authorities have recently taken steps to reduce public exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation by regulating use of wireless devices by children and recommending preferential use of wired communication devices in general, but this ought to be a coordinated international effort.”

What is 5G?

5G was developed in 2019 and is part of the latest version of wireless communication being made available globally. The technology works by producing electromagnetic waves for information to be sent and received.

5G Safety Raised at Lane Cove Council Meetings

Over the past few months, a group of residents have been attending Lane Cove Council’s monthly meeting and addressing Councillors in the public forum about 5G and questioning if 5G is safe and if Lane Cove Council will take action to test for electromagnetic radiation in a number of Lane Cove Locations.

How Have Other Councils Responded to 5G Health Concerns?

Northern Beaches Council

In November 2021, Northern Beaches Council noted that community members were concerned about possible health impacts arising due to the proposed and existing 4G and 5G infrastructure on the Northern Beaches.

Northern Beaches Council staff tried to engage with key stakeholders to organise a community forum. They approached several organisations, including ARPANSA, Oceania Radiofrequency Scientific Advisory Association (ORSAA), The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), Telstra, Optus and other identified subject matter experts in this field.

However, ARPANSA, which is the Federal Government’s primary authority on radiation protection and nuclear safety, declined to participate, and Northern Beaches Council did not receive a response from the telecommunications industry.

Without the participation of the key stakeholders in the field, Nothern Beaches Council staff concluded they were unable to host a balanced and informative community forum.

In 2023 Northern Beaches Council revisited the issue and resolved:

• to forward all past resolutions submitted on the motion of Cr De Luca to the Federal Members for Mackellar and Warringah and call upon them to seek amendment to the relevant legislation to ensure greater community and Local Government involvement in the consideration and determination of applications for telecommunications infrastructure;
• Facilitate a community forum with a panel of scientific experts to address community concerns in relation to 4G and 5G infrastructure;
• Write to the Federal Members for Mackellar and Warringah noting concerns that ARPANSA has not properly responded to Council and the community’s request and ask that they address this.

Randwick City Council

In 2018, TPG had plans to install a small cell tower in a densely populated area in the Randwick City Council local government area.

Randwick City Council resolved to call for Federal Government action to suspend the rollout of 5G. However, in January 2019, TPG announced it would no longer roll out the mobile network in Randwick.

Port Stephens Council

In February 2021, Port Stephens Council reviewed a report prepared by council officers on the visual and health impacts of 5G. The Report concluded that 5G did not result in any harm to human helath and they resolved the following:

• Note the report on 5G small cell infrastructure in Port Stephens
• Investigate opportunities to identify appropriate locations for telecommunications infrastructure on Council owned assets to minimise visual impacts
• Encourage creative telecommunications infrastructure design

Byron Bay Council

In 2019 Byron Bay Council resolved:

• Notes that there is some community concern with respect to reports that 5G network technologies may affect the health of the community and animal populations;
• Convenes and facilitates a public information event to share information and knowledge about the proposed 5G technology and its rollout in the Byron Shire;
• Includes within its’ list of invited speakers, representatives from Telstra, ARPANSA, the Member for Richmond, Justine Elliot MP, any pertinent accredited experts in this field and representatives from the Stop 5G Northern Rivers group;
• Writes to the Federal Minister for Communications, the Shadow Minister for Communications, and Member for Richmond, Justine Elliot MP seeking assurance that community concerns with respect to 5G network technologies are being assessed and taken into consideration;
• Writes to Telstra, seeking assurances that community concerns with respect to 5G network technologies are being assessed and taken into consideration and that the precautionary principle has been applied when progressing the 5G rollout;
• Writes to those listed in 4 and the State Government requesting a review of the cumulative impacts and an identification of who holds responsibility for monitoring cumulative impacts of microwave frequency technologies of ‘small cell installations’ on the residential community and, in light of the findings of this review, request the State Government to re-consider the appropriate planning process for the installation of small cells;
• Writes to LGNSW and Member for Ballina, Tamara Smith MP with a request to support this review and possible planning adjustments as outlined above; and
• Receives a report on any potential for Council’s infrastructure being used to house 5G.

 

Local Government NSW

In 2019 at the Local Government NSW Annual Conference, a resolution put forward by the Central Coast Council was passed asking Local Government NSW to call on the Federal Government to consult with councils and communities about the rollout of next-generation 5G networks. Councils specifically wanted consultation around the placement of enabling infrastructure.

Another motion called for regularly updated advice from experts on the possible health impacts of the network.  This motion was defeated after the City of Wollongong proposed an amendment requesting that the resolution not mention community health concerns.

Central Coast Council told the conference that 5G technology’s promise of lightning-fast speeds meant that the 5G networks needed five times the amount of equipment required for 3G and 4G mobile networks, delivered through a network of small cells placed closer to homes and businesses.

“This means that they are being placed on top of power poles and other council-owned infrastructure, ” the supporting paper noted. “Councils and communities are not being consulted on the placement of these cells and should be, as part of the planning process. ”

Parliamentary Inquiry

Federal Parliament completed an inquiry into the deployment, adoption, and application of 5G in Australia in March 2020. The inquiry committee heard from both individuals concerned with the rollout of 5G as well as Australian Government Agencies and officials.

 

The Parliamentary Inquiry noted that 5G technology builds off 4G. However, it is not the same. The differences include the radio waves, the equipment used, the handsets, the infrastructure, and the application of it. 5G utilises multiple bands of radio waves, with higher frequencies, this ultimately means new infrastructure needs to be built in order to transfer the radio waves.

The report noted:

“Unfortunately, a vast amount of misinformation about the safety and impact of 5G is out there. The Committee received a large amount of information from inquiry participants who were concerned over the deployment of 5G and asserted that 5G would have a detrimental impact on human health. The Committee heard from a number of Australian Government agencies and officials that 5G is safe for humans. Perhaps some confusion comes from the new spectrum bands 5G will use.

The Committee heard that ‘higher frequency does not mean higher power’, and that, in fact, devices will operate at a lower power due to focussing the 5G signal only to where it is required and the increased number of antennae, which means that users will have less exposure than under previous generations of mobile technology.

The Committee understands that new technology can be complex to understand, and that members of the community may be unsure of its safety. The Committee has been assured that 5G is safe.”

Read the full report here.

ARPANSA

ARPANSA sets and monitors safety standards for radio frequency electromagnetic energy exposure. These standards have been determined through extensive testing and scientific frameworks. 5G infrastructure must comply with these levels.

Every mobile phone base station, including small cells and 5G base stations, must meet Australian standards on electromagnetic energy exposure (EME).

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) checks providers are complying with EME levels set by ARPANSA through audits, investigations, and site inspections. If a provider fails to comply with these standards, they can be subject to court proceedings and penalties of up to $315,000- or two-years’ imprisonment.

In 2022, a team from ARPANSA surveyed the output from 50 Melbourne locations, from Hurstbridge in the city’s north-east to Hoppers Crossing in the west and Skye, near Frankston.

The conclusion set out in the report is as follows:

“This study presented data from measurements conducted at 50 sites characterising the ambient RF EME levels within the metropolitan area of the Australian city of Melbourne. The largest recorded values were due to broadcast radio services and mobile phone net- work downlinks. Across all sites, these two services had comparable maximum and median values. RF EME from broadcast services was overwhelmingly due to AM radio, whereas RF EME from mobile phone base stations was predominantly due to 4G services. All measured RF EME values were far below the permitted limits for public exposure from the relevant Australian standard, and hence, do not present a risk to citizens’ health.”

Read the full report here.

It is also an assessment of ARPANSA and international organisations such as the World Health Organisation and the International Commission of Non-Ionising Radiation (ICNIRP) that there is no scientific evidence to support any adverse health reactions from low amounts of electromagnetic energy exposure (EME).

“5G is the 5th generation of telecommunication infrastructure which provides connectivity over a wide range of frequencies to mobile phones and other devices on the wireless network,” Dr Ken Karipidis, Assistant Director of ARPANSA’s Assessment and Advice Section, said.

He also understands how important it is to continually research this technology to reassure Australians.

“ARPANSA will continue to review the available research on 5G and other upcoming technologies in order to provide advice to the Australian people,” Dr Karipidis says

ARPANSA has published the following statement on its website:

“You may be aware of individuals who have experienced health problems that they believe may be attributed to exposure to radio waves.

ARPANSA and the World Health Organization (WHO) are not aware of any well-conducted scientific investigations where health symptoms were confirmed as a result of radio wave exposure in the everyday environment.

While ARPANSA acknowledges that the health symptoms experienced by the affected individuals are real and can be a disabling problem, the established science is that there is no clear diagnostic criteria and there is a lack of evidence that exposure to radio waves is the cause. ARPANSA advises those affected to seek individual medical advice on their symptoms from a qualified medical professional.

We urge you to be cautious of claims from anti-5G campaigns. These campaigns are generating unfounded fear and concern within the community. We have seen increasing misinformation about health effects, our role, and 5G or radio waves generally.”

Chief Medical Officer

The Chief Medical Officer released the following statement in January 2022.

Research Review

In 2021 The Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology published an article entitled 5G mobile networks and health—a state-of-the-science review of the research into low-level RF fields above 6 GHz.

The following abstract was included in the paper:

“The increased use of radiofrequency (RF) fields above 6 GHz, particularly for the 5 G mobile phone network, has given rise to public concern about any possible adverse effects to human health. Public exposure to RF fields from 5 G and other sources is below the human exposure limits specified by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). This state-of-the science review examined the research into the biological and health effects of RF fields above 6 GHz at exposure levels below the ICNIRP occupational limits. The review included 107 experimental studies that investigated various bioeffects including genotoxicity, cell proliferation, gene expression, cell signalling, membrane function and other effects. Reported bioeffects were generally not independently replicated and the majority of the studies employed low quality methods of exposure assessment and control. Effects due to heating from high RF energy deposition cannot be excluded from many of the results. The review also included 31 epidemiological studies that investigated exposure to radar, which uses RF fields above 6 GHz similar to 5 G. The epidemiological studies showed little evidence of health effects including cancer at different sites, effects on reproduction and other diseases. This review showed no confirmed evidence that low-level RF fields above 6 GHz such as those used by the 5 G network are hazardous to human health. Future experimental studies should improve the experimental design with particular attention to dosimetry and temperature control. Future epidemiological studies should continue to monitor long-term health effects in the population related to wireless telecommunications.”

If the notice of motion is successful, would the Federal Government fund an independent body to undertake testing in one local government area?

Cover Photo:  our cover photo is a mobile phone tower located on top of the building housing Lane Cove Laundry on Burns Bay Road (across from Burns Bay IGA).

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