6 July 2000

More money has been set aside in the Christchurch City Council’s annual budget for cell-phone tower applications.

The money was needed following changes to Council policy to permit the installation of cell-phone towers on Council land in certain circumstances.

Another $35,000 was put in the budget for cell-site consultations and $50,000 for processing resource consent applications.

It is estimated that the Council will receive a rental income of about $50,000 a year from cell-phone sites.

The Council’s Cell Sites Sub-committee has been told that as many as 200 new cell sites could be required in Christchurch in the next 18 months and that applications are expected in the near future.

The Environment Services Manager, Jane Donaldson, told the sub-committee that the applications would create work for planning staff and it would not be possible to absorb the work within existing resources.

Already some Parkland residents have been informed that Vodafone (NZ) Ltd wants to establish a base transceiver station in the Bottle Lake Plantation on Council land.

The land is about 270m north of the closest residential section in Parklands.

Vodafone wants to lease about 96 sq. m for the station.

The Burwood-Pegasus Community Board Advocate, Dennis Morgan, has told residents that it was expected that Vodafone would be preparing a resource consent application.

The company would obtain resource and building consents before any development started on the site, he said. 

Further information: Dennis Morgan: 386 0909 or 025 347 543.