Due to the negative reaction to the proposal, Manukau City Council and 2degrees decided to relocate the site across the road at the entrance to Paparoa Park, opposite the Litten Road shops.
Councillor Jami-Lee Ross has worked with 2degrees in assigning the most appropriate locations in the area and says within a week of hearing negative feedback from the school, he took action to have the site revised.
“This just goes to show this is what consultation is all about,” Mr Ross told the Times. “We took on-board the negative reactions from the school and acted.”
Earlier in the week, Mr Ross and councillor Dick Quax were criticised for showing poor judgement in choosing the school boundary as a possible site.
Principal Graeme Lomas was in disbelief when he saw draft plans.
“I can’t believe two councillors would have helped to choose such an inappropriate site. They should have pre-empted no one would be happy with this outcome.
“People don’t want them close to houses but it raises questions about the value of one household with more than 700 students.”
But Mr Lomas was delighted when the Times contacted him yesterday to say a new location had been identified.
“I hope this gesture of goodwill will satisfy our parents, who obviously have strong views on such sites being located on school boundaries,” he says.
In two days, the school received more than 200 responses from parents, grandparents and students opposing the mast, mainly on health grounds.
Following concerns from Manukau residents in April, eight initial sites for the cellphone masts were revised to be further away from residential properties.
Mr Ross says the new site at the entrance to Paparoa Park is suitable because it’s designated as a road reserve – towers cannot be placed on park reserve unless it is absolutely necessary.
His priority is for antennae to be as far away from residential areas as possible.
“I was happy it was going to be moved away from residents’ properties,” says Mr Ross. “I suppose we did not give enough thought to the school, and whether or not there would be concerns from the school.
“The company responded to those concerns and that’s a good thing.”
The consultation period for the new sites is open until this Friday for residents and schools to have their say.
