Telecommunication Towers Leases

At its May Council Meeting, Council endorsed to undertake community consultation on the proposal to enter into two long-term leases for installation and operation of telecommunication towers on Council owned or managed land at two locations (Callignee and Morwell).

For the full resolution, please view the 6 May 2024 Council meeting minutes here.

As part of the Federal Mobile Blackspot Program, Council has been approached by two separate operators to install telecommunications towers within Latrobe City.

Proposed locations

Tower one’s proposed location is on 100 square metres of Crown land, known as Neaves Road, Callignee, where Latrobe City is the appointed Committee of Management. The tower will be a standalone structure adjacent to the CFA building.

Tower two’s proposed location is at the Crinigan Road South Reserve, Morwell and will include a light pole replacement on the west side of the main soccer field, to minimise visual impact to the soccer facility.

In addition to paying market rent, Council is negotiating for the installation of two large water tanks for the Callignee CFA to increase the value of this project to the community.

Benefits

These new towers will provide stronger and more reliable phone coverage, improving network connectivity and data speeds, making each area safer in emergencies and more digitally connected.

There is no cost to ratepayers to install the towers and each tower operator must pay market rent annually. All funds generated from rent will go back into managing Council’s property portfolio.

As an extra benefit to installing these towers, Council is negotiating with the tower operators to upgrade the lighting at the nearby soccer field in Morwell and install two large water tanks for the CFA in Callignee.

Leases

Each lease is with different operators who represent different telecommunication companies. Both are seeking 20-year leases.

The lease fees will be determined by market valuations and Council will negotiate for fair increases and opportunities for regular market reviews.

The leases will be completed using the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) and Department Environment, Energy and Climate Action (DEECA) standardised Telecommunication Tower leases that has been adopted and supported by Council’s across the state.

To enter into such leases, a community consultation process as outlined in the Community Engagement policy is required under the Local Government Act 2020.

Submissions close 6 June 2024.