Disputed tower's future up in the air

LAWRENCE GULLERY
A group of Clive property owners has asked that a 50m-tall communication tower be built somewhere other than in their "backyards".
The Hastings District Council's hearing committee is likely to ask for a second site visit to Clive today, where Shureview Radio and TV proposes the tower.
The firm's major shareholder, Hylton Read, told the hearing the structure would be located on his son, David's, property, on Mill Road in rural Clive.
Mr Read said there was demand for a communications tower as more radio stations wanted to access the AM band.
He said the two other main AM transmission sites were at Pakowhai and Opapa. The latter, owned by Radio New Zealand, was not suitable for lower-powered stations to cover Hastings and Napier.
"The Pakowhai site, owned by The Radio Network, is near capacity to carry more stations," he said in his report to the hearing.
Mr Read said the communication tower would be handy for Civil Defence, to set up an operation in an emergency as the AM range was longer than FM.
"The site will be heard over most of the rural coasts of Hawke's Bay," he said.
Mr Read pointed out the tower had the tick of approval from the Civil Aviation Authority, although submitters said they were worried about fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters spraying in nearby orchard and agricultural properties during frost control periods around the structure.
Details were also given of how the site could be hedged off to block the lower view of the tower to neighbours.
Mr Read said an organic farmer would lease the site and had told him he intended to hedge the paddock, for wind and spray protection, regardless of the outcome of the application.
The council's environmental planner reporting on the application, Susan Jones, reiterated her early stance by advising the committee that the firm's appellation be refused.
Committee chairman Dinah Williams ordered the meeting go into public exclusion time so commissioners could start making a decision on the plan.
The committee visited the Mill Road site yesterday morning but Mrs Williams said yesterday another visit could be on the cards for today.