The planning application is for a tower at 2-10 Holdsworth Road which would improve 3G communication services, wireless broadband and problems with coverage in West Bendigo.

The application also asks that the tower have three antennas with a provision for six more.

Holdsworth Road resident Bill Lewis said he and his wife would object to the tower.

“I’m a bit concerned about the radiation and the size of it as well,” he said.

“It’s pretty high.”

Mr Lewis said there was plenty of other land to use for the tower.

Another resident, Sarah Hargreaves, agreed with Mr Lewis, saying she would consider objecting to the tower.

She said that although there were trucks coming and going it wasn’t a particularly busy road.

“When you have little children it is nice to have nothing across the road,” she said.

The planning application with the City of Greater Bendigo notes that although the design is to accommodate future technologies, Telstra has been mindful of limiting the impact of the proposed new facility by locating it deep within an industrial property, well set back from the residential areas to the north and west.

“We acknowledge the design and location of a new facility will not always be able to satisfy all interested and affected parties,” the planning application says.

Telstra Country Wide Central Victoria and Sunraysia general manager Margaret O’Rourke said Telstra looked at four sites before deciding on Holdsworth Road.

She said it would provide additional coverage to central Bendigo.