Cambridge Council moves to solve year-long battle over contentious City Beach park mobile telephone towers

A Perth council has backed a move to connect one of two controversial temporary phone towers at City Beach to mains power after months of complaints about noise, vibration and fumes from diesel generators.

Cambridge Council has moved to resolve a year-long battle over the placement of two temporary phone towers at a City Beach park.

Council voted 7-2 last night to allow Telstra to connect one tower to mains power, subject to available network capacity, in a move aimed at ending the use of a diesel generator that has caused “unacceptable” noise, vibration and fumes affecting local residents since May last year.

The move will help appease nearby residents, who have been frustrated by an apparent lack of action over the issue.

Telstra can now apply to Western Power to establish a mains connection, a process that has no clear timeline.

But council still needs to negotiate the location of permanent phone towers in areas across City Beach with Telstra and/or Optus.

Permanent facilities are needed to replace the two temporary towers, as well as cover existing blackspots and those anticipated from the development of the nearby Ocean Grand apartment complex.

Areas flagged for possible permanent towers include Drabble-Cobb Reserve, Bent Park, Butlers Reserve and Laurie Leckie Park.