Residents encourage Bathurst council to acknowledge 5G concerns

The controversial advancement is the next generation of cellular network technology, set to increase speed and coverage globally.

However, concerns have been raised that, with the amount of infrastructure required and the higher frequencies it uses, 5G could pose a threat to the environment and human health.

While the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA) has said there is no cause for alarm, some cities outside of Australia have opted out of 5G and an online petition opposing the rollout has been signed by thousands of scientists and related professionals.

Closer to home, the Blue Mountains council in January agreed to write to the Federal Minister for Communications to check whether the community's environmental health is "being responsibly considered and assessed" in the plans for 5G.

At the last meeting of Bathurst council, residents Vanessa Comiskey and Barb Gallop encouraged the city's representatives to do the same.

"I have spent countless hours researching and reading thousands of pages of scientific, peer-reviewed evidence that suggests that 5G will be far from safe and will impact every single person on the planet," Ms Comiskey said.

"...I'm here now as a member of the community and as a concerned Australian citizen to invite all Bathurst Regional councillors to not just converse with me after my address tonight ... but I would also like to request that Bathurst Regional Council follow in the footsteps of the Blue Mountains City Council by voting to acknowledge the genuine community concerns over the rollout of 5G technology and to thoroughly investigate these concerns further."

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Ms Gallop made the same request, adding that if the rollout were to go ahead now without long-term studies, it may not be for another 10 to 15 years before the health effects are uncovered, and by then it would be too late.