BELMONT North residents have their antennas up over a new 30 metre high Optus phone tower.
Lake Macquarie council has approved the tower at Wommara Avenue, which represents a 252.9 per cent variation to the height limit set in the area.
Residents raised issues with the phone tower, arguing it would disrupt water views, cause overshadowing and reduce property values. The closest house is 25m from the tower.
Two submissions on the proposal said the public benefit of increased coverage did not outweigh impacts to the harmony and wellbeing of the local community and environment.
Labor councillor Christine Buckley said there were a number of black spots across the city and a new phone tower would help minimise them.
"There are issues with emergencies where people can't get onto the ambulance or police if need be in certain areas at certain times," she said.
"It is in an area where there's an electrical substation, so it's an area where it's separated."
The development application said there is an established need for improved mobile coverage in Belmont North.
The proposal, on behalf of Indara, is expected to also improve the capacity of Optus's network in the area by relieving congestion on existing base stations in the district.
It is expected to provide more reliable network coverage for local businesses and the community.
Labor councillor Brian Adamthwaite said connectivity was crucial, particularly post-COVID as more people worked from home.
"Telecommunications infrastructure is a vital service to our community in the 21st Century," he said.
"It affects business, it affects education, it affects safety and it affects our connectivity to our fellow people in the area and the rest of the world."
The phone tower will accommodate 4G and 5G. According to the council, Optus is attempting to resolve a coverage gap on the east side of Belmont North through to the Belmont Wetlands State Park.
