NBNCo submitted a development application to council to build the tower on Horsham Road, Dimboola, on land owned by GWMWater.

Despite its Dimboola location, the tower will be used to help boost the proposed wireless broadband services in Rainbow and Jeparit.

The tower will be 55 metres high and will be housed in a 120-square-metre fenced-off area.

Council’s infrastructure services director Douglas Gowans said the tower would act as a repeater for other towers that would be installed in Rainbow and Jeparit.

Mr Gowans said while Dimboola would receive some benefit from the tower, its primary purpose was to service Rainbow and Jeparit.

He said council had previously approved a development application by NBNCo to install a tower in Rainbow to provide wireless broadband.

Council expects an application for a tower in Jeparit, but a suitable location for it is yet be found.

Mr Gowans said a number of things were taken into consideration when looking at the planning application for the Dimboola tower, including the view of nearby residents.

“The planning officer has assessed the application and looked at it in terms of whether it will have any impact on any existing residents and the nearest resident is 300 metres away,” he said.

Mr Gowans said he was satisfied existing residents would not be adversely affected.

He recommended that council approve NBNCo’s application. Councillors voted unanimously in favour.

Hindmarsh Shire Mayor Rob Gersch said council supported the plan.

“We approved the planning permit, we see it as an advantage to our area and the communities of Rainbow and Jeparit,” he said.

“It just provides better communications and for NBNCo to invest that sort of money there is very good.

“I believe there is a follow-up at a later stage with further developments to improve Dimboola and the surrounding area.”

Council chief executive Tony Doyle said it was exciting to see the shire start to receive infrastructure to supply broadband internet.

Member for Mallee Andrew Broad said the wireless network would provide speeds of up to 25 megabits per second.

The Federal Government has continued to roll out the NBN network, originally started by the Rudd Government.

Mr Broad said since the federal election last year, 129,801 homes had been connected to the National Broadband Network across Australia.