A 35-metre high communications tower will be erected at Allansford Recreation Reserve after getting the green light from Warrnambool City Council.
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The tower, which will have three Optus panel antennas, was approved despite seven objections.
The objectors were concerned about the devaluation of their property, radiation from the tower and the visual impact.
It will be located to the north of the reserve adjacent to the eastern boundary of the new netball courts.
A council report said the purpose of the tower was to allow Optus mobile to deliver improved services to Allansford.
"The applicant has submitted that it is not possible to co-locate with an existing NBN/Telstra pole near Warrnambool Cheese and Butter or an existing Telstra roof-top facility to the south-west of Allansford," the report said.
"The applicant also advises that other sites have also been considered but are not considered viable."
Adjacent to the tower will be a two metre high equipment shelter at ground level.
Cr Mike Neoh said if the towers were placed on private property and it was later sold there was no guarantee of tenure.
"There was suggestions it could go to Premier Speedway, but testing showed there would still be blackspots," he said.
"When there has been emergencies between here and the Great Ocean Road there have been blackspots
"Council has to weigh up having visual pollution or the safety and telecommunications capacity to use mobile phones and deal with emergency situations."
Cr Sue Cassidy said the council needed to ensure there was basic communication networks as residents lived in a high bushfire area and it was necessary to be able to receive texts and calls in the case of an emergency situation.
"I know they are not the best thing to look at but in the case of an emergency I'd rather save lives than be worried about something I'm looking at," she said.
She said the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency guidelines showed there was no need for concern or worry for residents about radiation levels.
Cr Peter Hulin was the sole voter against the proposal and said he was worried about any potential health effects which could become known in years to come.