THE first two of an expected 12 planning permit applications for National Broadband Network Co towers across the Latrobe Valley have been advertised.
Last week notices of applications for telecommunications towers at 155 Firmins Lane, Hazelwood North and 10 Old Melbourne Road, Maryvale were advertised in The Express.
The applicant is Ericsson Australia.
Another 10 applications have been lodged with Latrobe City Council for the 40-metre tall mono-towers which NBN Co has said will bring high speed service to areas long confined to limited internet access.
Controversy dogged NBN Co as it sought to secure agreements with landowners to accommodate the towers on private property, with numerous sources claiming consultation over their location was insufficient.
Yesterday Latrobe City Council said the first applications were received in October last year and Ericsson Australia briefed council in mid-November on its plans.
Other planning permit applications lodged, but not yet advertised given council has requested further information from the applicant on some of them, are on land on Jeeralang West Road in Jeeralang Junction, two on Jumbuk Road – one in Jeeralang Junction East and the other in Yinnar – one at 27 Stonehaven Road, Hazelwood South and others at 855 Traralgon-Maffra Road, Glengarry, 345 Quarry Road, Yallourn North, 9-17 Woodcutter Place, Traralgon East, 280 Princes Highway, Traralgon, 1305 Traralgon Creek Road, Koornalla and 54 Main Road, Tyers.
Council’s acting general manager governance Matt Rogers said there were no further planning applications related to proposed NBN Co infrastructure that council was aware of.
Objections to initial applications, just advertised, can be sent to council and a decision is expected to be made on 7 February.
Meanwhile speculation by residents over the purpose of a tower recently erected on Hazelwood Estate Road just outside of Churchill has been cleared up by an SP AusNet spokesperson who told The Express yesterday he believed it was a Wimax Tower for smart meters.
