Woombye phone tower site goes to court despite overwhelming opposition
The community says a tower at Campbell Street is too close to residences.
A proposed 31.3-metre phone tower in Woombye, rejected almost unanimously by the community and councillors, is now the subject of a court battle.
Telecommunications company Waveconn Operations Pty Ltd has appealed Sunshine Coast Council’s decision to refuse its plan for a tower at 1–9 Campbell Street, lodging papers with the Planning and Environment Court on August 22.
At council’s July 24 meeting, ten of the 11 councillors voted to refuse the application. The vote followed the recommendation of SCC’s Development Planner to refuse the application, noting the development is in clear conflict with the current Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme. Conflicts included failure to integrate with the rural character of the area and the likely impact on amenity.
Yet, despite that overwhelming rejection, the proponent is pressing ahead through the courts — a move that has angered residents who have been forced to campaign against the location since 2021.
The Woombye Community and Business Association (WCBA) says the depth of opposition is beyond dispute. Out of 443 properly made public submissions, 440 (including 6 petitions with approximately 200 additional signatures) were against the tower. Of those, 94 formal submissions came from within nearly 100 homes inside the 400-metre radius of the tower site – a distance identified in the planning scheme as the required separation from residential properties. In all, only three submissions were in favour.
WCBA president Milo Frawley said the figures spoke for themselves.
“The community is not opposed to a phone tower as such, but we are united against a tower in this proposed residential location,” he said.
“If a community – and council – can’t decide its own destiny when it speaks out in such volume and strong numbers against something so blatantly against their wishes, then what is the democracy coming to?
“If Waveconn had any genuine connection to our community, at some point in the past four years they would have reached out to the WCBA. There has never been any attempt to contact us. I am so disappointed in Waveconn.”
The WCBA argues the project clearly fails the planning scheme requirements, particularly the 400-metre separation rule, and says the applicant has failed to adequately consider alternatives. Other issues raised in submissions include potential conflicts with future road alignments, questionable coverage outcomes due to dense vegetation, and the risk of eroding Woombye’s heritage character. Health concerns relating to electromagnetic emissions also remain high on the list of community worries.
Waveconn’s lawyers, Corrs Chambers Westgarth, argue the facility would not unacceptably impact Woombye’s character and that conditions could address council’s concerns. The company maintains the tower is essential to deliver reliable 5G services for Woombye residents, businesses and visitors.
The Planning and Environment Court will now weigh council’s reasons for refusal, the company’s appeal, and the near-unanimous voice of the community.