Mobile Telecommunications Facilities

​The department has a risk avoidance position in relation to electromagnetic emissions from mobile telecommunication facilities. This procedure applies to all state schools and TAFE institutes.​

This includes mobile phone antennae arrays and other telecommunication ground stations used for the transmission of wireless services. This policy does not address electromagnetic emissions emanating from other sources for example personal mobile phones or school-based wi-fi systems.

The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA), Radiation Protection Standard specifies restrictions and usage of mobile telecommunication facilities that prevents adverse health effects. 

The department requires that a separation buffer be maintained between a mobile telecommunication facility and a school or TAFE campus boundary. New mobile telecommunication facilities are not to be erected or operated on school or TAFE property. This is to ensure that emissions produced by the facility are significantly lower than the ARPANSA Standard.

Required separation distances are:

• a distance of at least 200 metres from a school or TAFE campus boundary
• electromagnetic emissions on school or TAFE’s premises should not be greater than one per cent of the Australian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Agency’s (ARPANSA) safe public exposure limit.

The Telecommunications Act 1997 (Cwlth), states that in order to comply with the Communications Alliance (ACIF) Industry Code C564:2004 ‘Deployment of Mobile Phone Network Infrastructure’ when establishing mobile telecommunications facilities, the Carrier must identify and consult with ‘community sensitive locations’, such as schools, with regard to the proposed site.

Carriers are required to notify and consult where development applications (DAs) are not required. Where carriers are required to submit a DA (for high impact facilities), consultation will happen through the development application process.

Where agreement cannot be reached, or there is a complaint about the Carrier, the matter can be referred to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).