25.4 C
Byron Shire
March 29, 2024

Anti-5G campaigners vow to continue the fight

Latest News

Blue skies for Bluesfest day 1

If yesterday at Bluesfest was anything to go by, it's going to be an incredible event and with the weather holding, (so far) the Easter weekend's future is looking bright.

Other News

Community grants on offer

Ingrained Foundation is running its fifth annual grants program, with a funding pool of $150,000.

Superbowls

Superbowls is your go-to spot for a burst of woodfired flavour! Nestled in Byron Arts and Industry Estate, the...

What the duck!

Most days I ask myself ‘what the duck’ is happening here? How could Trump be president again if he...

Democracy on the ropes?

The ancient idea of democracy is under threat around the world. Today, there are only 63 democracies compared to 74 autocracies, and many of these democracies are highly problematic.

Workshop in Creative Writing For Beginners

Have you always felt like you have a novel in you, but don’t know where to start? Or have...

Dynamic, rustic yet polished

Animal Ventura is the brainchild of Byron Bay-based singer-songwriter Fernando Aragones. Growing up playing punk and reggae in noisy garage bands in Southern Brazil, Aragones ventured to Australia where the eclectic sounds of the Sydney music scene beckoned.

Paul Bibby

The fight against Telstra’s installation of 5G in Mullumbimby looks set to continue, with campaigners maintaining a 24-hour presence at the site and lodging a formal complaint with the communications watchdog.

The campaigners made headlines across the country last week when they held a large, peaceful protest at the Daley Street mobile tower, preventing Telstra technicians from undertaking the upgrading work.

Local activist Dean Jefferys was arrested at the 5G protest last Wednesday. Photo supplied.

The protest, which attracted around 100 people, defied state-wide public health orders preventing large gatherings during the COVID-19 crisis, and resulted in at least one arrest.

While the protest has concluded, the 5G opponents are now maintaining a round-the-clock presence at the site in a bid to prevent Telstra from quietly returning to undertake the installation.

‘The community and businesses sent through many hundreds of objections to Telstra, and lobbied the council for a year against the 5G upgrade in Mullumbimby,’ said Rinat Strahlhofer, an administrator of the Northern Rivers for Safe Technology Facebook Groupo.

‘What other option were we left with than to take to the streets to protect the environment for our children?’

But local Federal Member Justine Elliot criticised the protest, saying that ‘disregarding social distancing directives endangers the health and safety of the wider community, Telstra staff and the police’.

In a statement on social media she said Telstra had advised her that, under Federal telecommunications laws, it did not need permission from local and State Government to undertake the 5G installation.

‘The upgrade is legal and will go ahead,’

Byron Council has confirmed that Telstra does not need its permission to undertake the upgrading works.

Nevertheless, Mrs Elliot’s comments have incensed anti-5G movement who argue that Telstra did not meet its requirements under the deployment code, rendering the upgrade illegal.

The campaigners have lodged a formal complaint with the Australian Communications and Media Authority, a fact they say Mrs Elliot was well aware of at the time of making her comments.

‘I was personally outraged that Justine Elliot felt it was in any way appropriate to strip away our civil liberties with an inaccurate Facebook post,’ another administrator of the Northern Rivers for Safe Technology Facebook page, Tashi Lhamo, said.

‘ACMA is currently considering complaints about Telstra’s compliance with the ‘Mobile Phone Base Station Deployment Code’, and that complaint has, in ACMA’s own words, “not been satisfactorily resolved”.’

Meanwhile, at last Wednesday’s Byron Council meeting Greens Councilor Sarah Ndiaye attempted to move a urgency motion ‘to call on Telstra to stop work on the Dalley St tower until such time as the community complaint to ACMA has been addressed and the COVID-19 social distancing measures have been lifted.’

However, the move was kyboshed when a majority of councillors voted not to debate the issue because it was not ‘urgent’ enough.


Support The Echo

Keeping the community together and the community voice loud and clear is what The Echo is about. More than ever we need your help to keep this voice alive and thriving in the community.

Like all businesses we are struggling to keep food on the table of all our local and hard working journalists, artists, sales, delivery and drudges who keep the news coming out to you both in the newspaper and online. If you can spare a few dollars a week – or maybe more – we would appreciate all the support you are able to give to keep the voice of independent, local journalism alive.

29 COMMENTS

  1. NBN , 5G , Modems , Wifi Routers , Foxtel Satellite, Private Wireless Internet and Bluetooth.
    What do they all have in common? They use radio frequencies above 1Ghz for information transfer .

    NBN can arrive at your home by 4 technologies ie existing copper wires , fibre , fixed wireless or satellite.

    NBN Fixed Wireless – The frequency of the NBN Fixed Wireless broadband uses 2.4Ghz,3.4Ghz and 3.5Ghz arriving at your home and a square antenna (see 1st photo below) for receiving/transmitting your upload/downland internet traffic . The signal travels a maximum of 14km .

    https://www.itnews.com.au/news/telstra-cuts-uplink-speeds-early-in-nbn-fixed-wireless-shift-531526

    NBN Satellite – via Skymuster using 17Ghz and 31Ghz for upload and download internet traffic . The receiver/transmit dish is also mounted on your roof . Skymuster is installed when you are unable to receive NBN Fixed Wireless or outside the town limits of NBN Fibre to Node/Premise/Kerb .
    The satellites are located 30,000km above our homes .

    https://theconversation.com/internet-in-space-nbns-plan-to-bring-broadband-to-rural-australia-46618

    5G – Fifth Generation Mobile Phone Technology .
    In Australia it is using the 3.4Ghz part of the frequency spectrum and only travels about 10km so requires multiple cell antennas . Power levels equal to compared with NBN Fixed Wireless .
    4G – Forth Generation Mobile Phone Technology.
    In Australia it is using 850Mhz to 2.1Ghz part of the frequency spectrum . Transmission distance can be 20km. Your little mobile phone is quite powerful being able to transmit and receive a signal from so far away .

    Modems and Wifi Routers – they transmit/receive your internet information around your home and use 2 frequencies being 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz . Maximum distance with line of sight is about 100 metres.

    Foxtel Satellite – operating in the 11Ghz and 17Ghz part of the spectrum bring TV channels into your home and also travelling 30,000km .

    Private Wireless Internet – the supplier is a local based company transmitting internet wirelessly all over the North Coast via 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz . The 2nd photo below has the small round receiving antenna. Distance for transmit/receive is around 14km .

    Bluetooth-
    Bluetooth uses the 2.4 GHz ISM spectrum band (2400 to 2483.5 MHz), which enables a good balance between range and throughput. In addition, the 2.4 GHz band is available worldwide, making it a true standard for low-power wireless connectivity.

    https://www.bluetooth.com/learn-about-bluetooth/bluetooth-technology/range/

  2. Interesting that the comments m8ake fun of the protests yet the protests are the story. A better one would be how these Mickey Mouse folk commandeer the headlines.. is it the bias of the Echo that needs to change?

  3. Please stop trying to enforce this upgrade into a community which clearly doesn’t want it. 4G is FINE! We don’t need the upgrade, especially when there’s countries around the world who have said no due to the harmful radiation and frequency that comes with it. Let’s be smart like Switzerland and the other countries waiting to 100% proof that 5G is not harmful to children (even the unborn ones) and the environment. This tower is right in the centre of town in front of the bus stop making it even more deadly. I work online and am against this upgrade. Please move on Telstra.

  4. Geoff,

    Why then does the peer reviewed scientific literature suggest there are dangers? Conspiracy theorist was term invented by the CIA, do oyu trust them too Geoff? https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/we-have-no-reason-to-believe-5g-is-safe/

    Why did WHO classify it as a 2B carcinogenic as early as 2011? This protest is about scrutinising once again the very rich and powerful telecommunications industry that more often than not will put profits over health concerns on behalf of their shareholders. Are you not also involved in the industry? We all just want our internet of things at the click of our fingers don’t we with total disregard and dismissal of any other scientific evidence that would suggest otherwise. If these other sources of wireless internet are as you say then they should by law not be allowed? The number of deaths for cancer continue to rise every day, how many could we honestly equate to exposure to radiation from wireless internet and mobile devices?

    The research that I have come across claims that the radiation 3 & 4G is at around 900hz and that 5G jumps up to 30-300 GHZ which is a massive increase and also the number of antennas will be far more prevalent than the current system. The research that I have come across also cites a number studies that shows the 5G weakens the immune system, coagulates the haemoglobin our blood cells and causes a much higher incidence of cancer in rats.

    This bullshit “social shaming” of labelling people as “conspiracy theorists” when they themselves will not even look at the total science picture pr entertain the fact that the telecommunications industry or telstra would be impeccable with the truth is nothing but either selfish greed or outright stupidity! We are citing the scientific health concerns of 5G and IMO it is totally warranted particularly rolling out during lockdown.
    Here is a great keynote presentation at a University of Melbourne by Epidemiologist Dr Devra Davis on the matter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwyDCHf5iCY

    Chars, Don

  5. Don
    Many valid points
    Especially about non conforming people for the new harmful invisible pollution now being labelled conspiracy theorists
    All
    designed to distract the masses from the public relations department and propaganda machines
    No conspiracy here with 5G Dangers
    just a Fact that any new technology has to be tested and designed with military precision
    Technocracy will eventually get there way and operate manufacturing with 5g technology and very minimal human interaction
    Times they are a changing

    Unfortunately these changes are happening while we sleep or when social gatherings have been outlawed
    These clever marketing powers spin a constant story on health concerns
    Yet the biggest health problems are Big money makers for tax departments

  6. When a Community of people have discussed & agreed that they do NOT want an upgraded 5G tower in their area, then their voices, views & decision need to be respected.
    They live there & they don’t want it.
    Telstra has no Right to go against their decision.

  7. ‘Conspiracy’ and ‘theory’ are just valid and useful words in our linguistic repertoire. Lots of otherwise neutral terms can become weapons invested with nuances to demonise and profile.
    I don’t know or care if these demonstrators are ‘conspiracy theorists’ they just looked to me like a few excitable young people and die-hard old hippies looking for an excuse to so some sabre rattling.

    It would have all been harmless fun but, even with pleasingly lowered numbers, we are dealing with a pandemic which demands more considered and informed responses.

  8. Don Coyne- 4G in Australia uses frequencies up to 2.1Ghz (Vodafone).
    5G in Australia is using 3.4Ghz .
    Other countries may use higher frequencies for its 5G depending on population density .

    NBN Fixed Wireless is 3.4 and 3.5Ghz , travels 14km and has been in use for around 5 years in Australia.

  9. Before you go throwing around carcenogenic properties of something you need to understand the classes. Group 1 – extremely strong link to cancer. Eg smoking, asbestos. Group 2a – probable link to cancer or animal studies sufficient but limited in humans. Eg red meats, coffee. Group 2b – possible link or limited in humans and less than sufficient in animals. Eg mobile phones, Aloe vera, pickles. And so on. So far the only two ‘authorities’ on this matter I have seen touting the dangers are David Icke, the guy that believes the moon is a hollowed out deathstar full of lizard people that control world leaders and some physician named Thomas Cowan that believes the heart doesn’t pump blood.

    You can go much higher up the frequency scale before getting to visible and lower end UV light, before getting to the ionising waves: upper end UV, xrays, and gamma rays. And just so you know previous generations of wireless equipment have been in the same group 2b. Scientists and technicians all have families. This isn’t some James Bond villain scheme, and in Australia it is just a stopgap for a botched NBN network that didn’t deliver what it promised. Most of the masts that have been torched in other countries haven’t even been 5g, because most people didn’t actually understand what they were looking at and let their fear drive them. At some stage you have to let go of the reigns and trust the scientists that have a better understanding with years of training and experience than you having watched a couple youtube vids with ominous background music to create tension. Either that or you can start your career in science and do the same hard yards they did to get to where they are.
    Having instant access to information can be a beautiful thing, but that also opens the door to instant access to disinformation labeled as opinion.

  10. 5g is dangerous for our HEALTH . And I’m against 5g towers been put up all over the country and all over the world. Connected to whom and for what reason , to track and control .And how much radiation are we expose to

  11. Delamy- The Swiss fired up 5G in April 2019.
    “ Swiss operator Sunrise has announced that its new 5G network went live on 4 April, with initial coverage of 150 towns, villages and cities. Coverage ranges from 80% to 98% depending on location, with Sunrise noting that it only has partial coverage of larger markets, such as Zurich. Further, the telco has confirmed that the network utilises spectrum in the 700MHz and 2.4GHz-2.5GHz bands, rather than the millimetre wave (mmWave) frequencies being used to support 5G in other markets.

    Olaf Swantee, CEO of Sunrise, commented: ‘5G is live. Until autonomous cars, robots etc. can be used with 5G in the next few years, Sunrise will enable high-bandwidth internet in Switzerland thanks to 5G … “5G for People” is closing the digital divide in Switzerland and making Switzerland Europe’s pioneer in digital infrastructures.’
    The other Swiss mobile companies can use the 3.5Ghz band.
    https://www.commsupdate.com/articles/2019/04/05/sunrise-5g-is-live-in-150-locations/

  12. A tad disappointed to see many are promoting unproved conspiracy claims about 5G. Communications now are so important to how we live and never more so in the way emergency services rely on mobile phones in the current virus catastrophe. I’m yet to read or see, but always willing to listen, how 5G is meant to be so harmful. If anyone can provide evidence I will gladly listen ( a YouTube video is NOT evidence). Even more disappointed to read these types of conspiracies have reached Byron Bay. Don’t get me wrong- conspiracies and plots have been a part of politics and governments and private corporations for decades but in the matter of 5G- where is the evidence of harm (apart form visual pollution)?

  13. If the “community” did not want 5G why would Telstra waste money on a tower to deliver a potential service to a community that it is claimed does not want it? The reality is the so called “community” are simply a subculture of protestors, numerous enough that the Byron Shire tried to retain their votes, but hardly representative of the people of the Mullum, Byron Shire, or the electorate of Richmond (and this is constitutionally a Federal not a local matter).
    The members of the community that they certainly do not represent are those seniors put at danger by their foolish gathering in the height of the Covid-19 crisis. The claims that they were practicing safe social distancing are quite wrong . To avoid transmission of this disease to our elderly and vulnerable there are quite straight forward health orders that require us all to stay home except for very limited excuses. Gathering for a protest is not one of them. Ms Lhamo as spokesperson for this group told Prime 7 she was not sure is it was legal because she was not a lawyer. It is extraordinary that a group that claims such expertise in the complex science of radiation health cannot without the help of a lawyer understand the meaning of “stay home” .
    The blatant disregard for health orders the rest of us understand and follow, and the disregard for the elderly, particularly those in Coolamon aged care and houses round Mullumbimby, give lie to any pretense that these people are seriously concerned about the health of the community. The contrived “scientific” arguments against 5G and the delusion that Byron Council had somehow achieved some sort of local moratorium over what is a national roll out of 5G, gave a few hundred people, impatient with this lock-down, an excuse to socialise at what the local member and the police have warned was an illegal and risky gathering.

  14. Anyone who thinks 5G is not dangerous or a military weapon. Google search : ACTIVE DENIAL SYSTEM and research what you find. And also ask anyone who works in the military who will tell you the truth on 5G frequencies. I’ve spoken to 3 people in the military and ALL of them have said it is toxic to our bodies. Eg; One of them said from the navy when they had to clean the top deck of the ship the 5G had to be turned off so they weren’t exposed to the radiation being transmitted. So if it’s not dangerous why would it be turned off. Like I said. Google search ACTIVE DENIAL SYSTEM. The people who say it’s not dangerous have not done true research on it. There’s is plenty of evidence from professionals around the world. Even a CEO from Vodafone in England left his position because he did not want blood on his hands knowing the dangers of 5G. Why would a guy earning a 6 figure salary give up his job. Anyone who bags out other people’s concerns of exposure are just ignorant to the truth and have not one bit of true evidence from third parties that are NOT influenced by the supporters of 5G. Frequencies DO have affects on living tissue positive AND negative depending on the frequency. It’s used in physio technologies just to name one area. 5G 60GHZ can be used to disperse crowds. And to prove it, Google search ACTIVE DENIAL SYSTEM.

  15. Claudia if 5G used lower frequency ie 1.6Ghz instead of 3.4Ghz would that ease your worries?
    NBN Fixed Wireless has been running for about 5 years at 3.5Ghz in rural areas ie Billinudgel, Main Arm , Left Bank Rd , Goonengerry, Federal etc . It travels 14km.
    When 4G was rolled out it was a lower and higher frequency than 3G , the government sold off the Band 5 UHF TV part of spectrum and moved all the TV stations into Band 4 UHF .
    NBN Fixed Wireless should be termed Fixed Wireless 5G as it operates at the same frequencies as Mobile 5G .

  16. I feel it is so wrong of anyone to say “we the people” when they DO NOT represent more than probably less than one percent of “the people”.
    Wear sunscreen stay out of the sun. Stop smoking. Social distancing. Proven dangers.
    5G conspiracies are rubbish.

  17. Troy the radar system on the ships would be turned off , it isn’t 5G , it b is just 3.5Ghz how powered radar .
    5G is a mobile phone technology, the same as NBN Fixed Wireless is for static home or business use .
    5G in Australia operates at 3.5Ghz . NBN Fixed Wireless operates at 3.4 and 3.5Ghz .
    The Bureau of Meterology has been using 3.4Ghz radar for over 40 years .
    Foxtel TV satellites use 17Ghz frequency.

    Again I say 5G is nothing more than a trade name ie 5th Generation Mobile Phone Technology.

    NBN Fixed Wireless could also be thought of as 5G as it uses the same frequencies.

  18. Article in Cairns News this week regarding the truth and dangers of 5G. How we are being fooled by super technology into thinking it is safe. Just type in Cairns news on Google or FaceBook.

  19. It doesnt matter what any of you say, I’ve done thorough research on the topic through YouTube and unreliable sources and they have convinced me that 5G is evil and will kill my whole family with those waves which have been used for many years in the past via other technologies. /s

    Some people are just bored and want to feel like they are not completely worthless.

    If you hate 5G so much and it’s such a danger, go move to the middle of Australia, you’ll be safe, have fun!

  20. No upgrade needed in Lismore, too, but the council is determined to ensure that one goes through. there are many proven and peer reviewed tests to show this has only one purpose, which it hides by trying to sound excited about faster movies! if even one person were at risk, i would rather not use any wireless devices. especially when cables can do that job much better.
    this is part of a plainly stated, and indicated, eugenocide agenda, that is reveakng itself unmistakably now,

  21. I think it is bloody pathetic that we people are requesting that 5G should not happen in Australia. Samsung has already started making 5G mobile phones and very soon Apple too is going to issue the very first 5G mobile phone, times are changing people get over yourselves! Using mobile internet will be a lot faster and the data speeds working much more efficient with 5G technology. I definitely support the upgrade and (certainly, I want it to happen!) it definitely is going to happen whether you people out there want it or not. Why don’t you people just focus on protesting against something else like people littering on the street and find other more important issues to worry about besides this one. 5G technology is going to happen whether you like it or not. I am so excited and cannot wait to finally experience it! I cannot wait until the day I purchase a 5G mobile phone in order for me to be able to experience it for myself how fast the internet mobile connection truly is. (We were not that concerned when they released the 4G connection so why for the 5G when definitely it is going to make surfing the internet a lot faster. Please just let Telstra finish upgrading the towers and stop making this issue such a “big deal” when really this 5G technology can definitely in the long run benefit people’s lives as to how they surf the mobile internet and send emails and certainly downloading movies and watching movies online would definitely work a lot faster too. I am looking forward to the day 5G will be all over Australia and we citizens can certainly experience the joys of faster internet connection and browsing that really would be truly wonderful! I want 5G I am truly a big supporter in seeing the mobile upgrades in the modern 21st century, good luck Telstra with the upgrades you have got my support one hundred percent on this one! (-:

  22. https://youtu.be/QSkHBdVaPtI

    Emeritus Prof. Dr Martin Pall of Washington State University has nailed the true science as to how human cells are damaged by EMFs AND YES FOLKS IT AIN THERMAL (as the industry clsims). IT’D ELECTRICAL!!.
    look up Voltage Gated Calcium Channels and Prof Pall.
    He lists over 196 peer review studies (already in the literature) which give alarm to human cells such as dementia effects Sudden Cardiac Death, etc etc

    Chilling Alarming!!

    It’s all there folks.
    Open your eyes

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Retired local professor launches book on grief

A leading international thinker and researcher in the development of innovative sport coaching and physical education teaching has returned home to Byron Bay and is launching his first non-academic book, 'Grief and Growth', on April 4 at The Book Room in Byron. 

Resilient Lismore’s ‘Repair to Return’ funding

On the eve of the second anniversary of the second devastating flood in 2022, Resilient Lismore has welcomed the finalisation of its funding deed with the NSW Reconstruction Authority, which will enable the continuation of its ‘Repair to Return’ program.

Editorial – Joyous propaganda! 

The NSW Labor government marked its one year in office this week with a jubilant statement of achievements issued from Macquarie Street HQ.

Man charged over domestic violence and pursuit offences – Tweed Heads

A man has been charged following a pursuit near Tweed Heads on Monday.