A Hawea resident whose house will be closest to a new Spark 16m-high tower says taking the telecommunication corporate giant to the environment court will finally give him the chance to discuss alternative sites.
On August 22, Spark NZ was granted resource consent (subject to conditions) to erect and operate a 4G telecommunication facility on a road reserve next to Peter Fraser Park in the centre of the town.
Dr David Wynne Jones owns a house 25m from the site on Capell Ave, and was one of 20 submitters opposed to the facility, and one of nine who spoke at the resource consent hearing in Wanaka recently.
He said he was "very disappointed" and "disagreed with the conclusions" made in the judgement and would be joining the Hawea Community Association in filing an appeal of the decision in the environment court.
"We believe the first step is mediation and that is exactly what the Hawea Community Association has been asking for ever since Spark landed the proposal."
"Up to now there has been no discussion of alternative sites," he said.
The Spark application for a 16m pole, antenna and cabinets to replace an existing lighting pole required resource consent, as it exceeded the permitted height of 10.5m and the permitted width of .15m under the National Environmental Standards for Telecommunication Facilities.
Some of the primary reasons contained in submissions opposed to the proposed mast included adverse visual effects experienced from submitters' properties, as well as on views on Capell Ave and from the wider area including from the foreshore of Lake Hawea, adverse effects on property values, inadequate consideration of alternative sites, adverse effects on health as a result of radio frequency emissions, and inadequate consultation.
In their judgement, commissioners Robert Nixon and David Whitney concluded "from a 'close-up' perspective there could be no doubt at all that the mast would be a dominating feature - for example from parts of Peter Fraser Park, as a passing feature for motorists in Capell Ave, and as a more persistent presence for pedestrians and cyclists using this route.
"It will interfere with mountain views, but that said, it is difficult to see how a mast, even of more modest height, anywhere within the residential area of Lake Hawea township would not have a similar effect."
Hawea Community Association chairwoman April MacKenzie said many in the community were Spark customers and "were very disappointed in Spark's apparent unwilllingness to find a workable solution in a less `in your face' location".
"It is hard to believe this can be the only viable location for Spark," Ms MacKenzie said.
Spark NZ corporate relations partner Samantha Smith said Spark will not be making any further comment on the Hawea mast site "until the appeals period has lapsed".
Ms MacKenzie said their appeal needed to be filed by September 12.
