One sided

Raphael Lee Cass, Byron Bay

I was mildly amused by The Echo’s front page headline on October 14, ‘Byron’s turn to fight Telstra’s 5G plans.’ What? Everybody in Byron Shire is fighting? I looked for the ‘balanced reporting’ to read comments from the Byron person who likes the idea of 5G but didn’t see it.

This week the headline reads, ‘5G-free activists step up pressure on Telstra.’ The first sentence is ‘Strong resistance is growing from the business community’ near a 5G upgrade, yet the last paragraph indicates this came from a poll conducted by an organisation saying the businesses ‘did not support 5G.’

There is no comment regarding what the 5G problems may be or indeed any benefits of 5G. Or any quote from the World Health Organisation or the 50 countries using 5G.

Or better still, from anybody around the presently operating 5G tower in Byron’s Arts and Industry Estate who live and work there, about and 5G-caused health issues.

The quote from Telstra that 5G is similar to 3 and 4G, and that Telstra takes community health seriously seems to disappear in the opinions of the complainants.

Clare, ‘mother of four’, has a husband who says that, ‘We didn’t ask for it and we don’t need it,’ a rationale that could be applied to the invention of the car, aeroplane, or the internet. Clare says the ‘towers can have potentially catastrophic health outcomes for us, and the entire ecosystem,’ providing an emotive, generalised opinion with no facts; perhaps even encompassing the known universe.

I say the towers look ugly but perform a necessary function for these times – like roads, sewers, and cities.

I am concerned at the number of diesel vehicles emitting particulate, and petrol cars emitting carbon monoxide and other poisonous gasses near schools where young children spend their days.

I suggest the ‘activists’ do something about the poisoning of our air, and stop banging on about 5G.