127Telecommunications facilities

127 Telecommunications facilities

127 Telecommunications facilities

(1) The objectives for development for the purpose of telecommunications facilities are—

(a) to require telecommunications facilities to be provided in a manner that meets community expectations for modern telecommunications infrastructure, and

(b) to require telecommunications facilities to comply with standards on exposure levels for electromagnetic energy (EME) and, in certain circumstances, to encourage facilities to be provided in ways that reduce exposure to EME, and

(c) to require telecommunications facilities to be provided in a manner that makes efficient use of existing infrastructure and services, and

(d) to require telecommunications facilities to be designed and located in such a way as to avoid and minimise impacts on the environment and amenity of the area in which the facilities are located, including the site of those facilities.

(2) Telecommunications facilities must be designed, installed and operated to comply with standards relating to human exposure to EME appearing in any applicable code or standard made under the applicable law of the Commonwealth.

(3) Telecommunications facilities are to be designed to minimise public exposure to EME through the principle of prudent avoidance, whereby low or no cost measures are employed to avoid or reduce exposures in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Council’s Better Living DCP.

(4) Consent shall not be granted to development for the purpose of telecommunications facilities unless the consent authority is satisfied that the development—

(a) contributes toward meeting the current and future servicing needs of the locality for telecommunications (including future servicing needs of newly developing areas), and

(b) complements or enhances the character and streetscape of the surrounding area, and

(c) is visually integrated with the character and streetscape of the surrounding area, where proposed within a village precinct, and

(d) incorporates effective measures to avoid or mitigate damage to vegetation, threatened species and critical habitats, and

(e) cannot satisfactorily be located on an existing telecommunications tower, and