THE future of a proposed telecommunications tower on Dimboola Road, Horsham is still up-in-the-air.
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At its April meeting, Horsham council discussed a motion with a recommendation to approve a planning permit for a 15-metre tower at the site.
Cr John Robinson didn't support the recommendation and said the tower would affect future expansions of the Horsham Aerodrome if constructed.
In his report to the council, senior statutory planner Nicholas Carey said the council received a response from the Horsham Aerodrome Users Group regarding the proposed tower.
Mr Carey said the group maintained the position that an alternative site for the tower should be considered.
"The Horsham Aerodrome Users Group has raised concerns regarding the impact of the proposed development on the flight path of aircraft using runway 17/35," he said in the report.
"The group is concerned about the impact the proposed tower will have on the two per cent glidescope should the runway be extended to 2000 metres in length."
Cr Robinson also argued that the council needed a formal, written statement from the Country Authority declaring whether the site posed a fire risk to the community.
The council's development services director Angela Murphy told the council that she had been in contact with the CFA regarding the site, but was yet to receive a formal reply.
Ms Murphy said the application could possibly be taken to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal as it was already over its 60 day deadline.
Cr Robinson proposed secondary motion to defer making a decision on the application. He said there were many other suitable locations for the facility.
"This location is inappropriate for a number of reasons. There are a number of alternative locations, so it's not like we'd be looking for a needle in a haystack," he said.
Cr David Grimble said he supported Cr Robinson's secondary motion.
"I believe we need to find an alternative location that doesn't affect the aerodrome. If we let this happen, then in 10 to 15 years, people will be asking why we allowed a tower to be built at the end of the runway," he said.
"There shouldn't be any long-term development around the aerodrome."
Mayor Mark Radford said the telecommunications project was "very important" and that he hoped the council could work with the applicant to find an appropriate site for the tower.
The council voted unanimously in favour of Cr Robinson's motion.
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