Almost 500 residents have opposed the planned installation of a mobile phone tower on council-owned land in Glendale, one of many being rolled out in the Hunter to boost the coverage of two service providers.
Lake Macquarie council is assessing a development application from Optus to construct a mobile base station, to be shared with Vodafone, on Reservoir Road.
The 32-metre monopole would comprise 18 panel antennas at the top of the tower, equipment cabinets at ground level and a perimeter security fence.
Hundreds of residents made submissions opposing the tower during the DA's exhibition in July, citing its visual impact and potential health risks to residents and threatened flora and fauna.
Vaughan Nicol, a long-term resident of nearby Amber Way, said the tower was "extremely out of context for the existing residential area".
"The 30m tower height contravenes local planning limits," he said. "Visually it would be an eyesore.
"I am extremely concerned of the potential health risks of the proposed 5G technology to be used and the effect on the general public."
Optus said the electromagnetic emissions would equate to 6.78 per cent of the maximum exposure limit under Australian standards.
The company has applied for an exemption to the area's 8.5-metre development standard height limit.
A biodiversity assessment provided with the application concluded the facility "would not have a significant effect on threatened species, populations or endangered ecological communities".
The site was one of six assessed in the area for the tower, which will boost coverage in Glendale and Cardiff. No commercial or industrial sites were deemed suitable to host the tower.
In a statement of environmental effects, Optus said the "height of the land" best met its coverage objectives to "meet the current and future demand in the area" and provide a "quality of service expected by people who live, work in, visit and travel through this area".
"The proposed facility is sited on a large site zoned RU6 Transition, which is a suitable land use given the property is a former quarry used by council," it said.
Lake Macquarie council will make $29,000 per year leasing the site to Optus. A spokesperson said the elected council would determine the DA "in early 2020".
The council is also assessing two other applications for Optus towers in Mount Hutton and Fennell Bay.
Optus hopes to construct a similar tower in New Lambton as well, lodging a DA for a 37-metre monopole in Mahogany Drive with Newcastle council earlier this month.
A community protest about the Glendale tower due to be held on Saturday has been postponed.
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