We received a request from Amplitel Pty Ltd (on behalf of Telstra Group Ltd) for a 20-year exclusive lease over a portion of land within the Grange Recreation Reserve (the Reserve). The purpose of the request is to secure an area for the construction of telecommunications infrastructure to address long-standing mobile phone service and coverage issues for residents, businesses, and visitors specifically in Grange and also surrounding areas.

Under Council's Telecommunications & Electricity Infrastructure on Council Land Policy, Amplitel were required to demonstrate that they have undertaken a comprehensive analysis of alternative, potential locations in the area for the proposed infrastructure, along with reasoning for the requested location. Amplitel advised that there are no remaining or alternative locations in the area that would resolve mobile coverage service issues to a satisfactory level.

A final decision on the lease request will consider all input we receive from the community. For clarity, two stages of community consultation occurred on this lease request - the first stage in late 2024 was on the initial lease proposal for Grange Recreation Reserve and the second stage in early 2025 was on an amended proposal in a new location on the Reserve and updated lease site plans.

It's important to note that the outcomes of this engagement will inform a decision on the lease of community land, as opposed to the construction of infrastructure at the site. That process will be subject to assessment under the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016, and will likely be a publicly notifiable development.

After considering community feedback from 2024, Amplitel put forward an amended proposal for the location of their lease request on the Reserve (refer Figure 1 below). This alternative proposal was approved for further community notification and comment, specifically on the new location and required changes to the site and infrastructure plans. You can view more about the key changes to the proposal in the table below.

Initial instruction from Amplitel was that a southern-most location was preferred to achieve the best mobile service coverage outcomes for consumers. The updated location is a compromise position that considers concerns expressed during community engagement but will still meet coverage needs and acknowledges they have exhausted alterative locations for their infrastructure in the area.

Key changes:

The Strategic & Engagement Committee will review the feedback received from the community during the two stages of consultation on the lease proposal for Grange Recreation Reserve and consider the staff recommendations in response to Amplitel's lease request.

Any decisions made by the Committee at their meeting on Monday, 19 May will then be referred to the Council meeting on 26 May for final endorsement. Members of the public can also attend this meeting and/or request a deputation to speak at the meeting before a final decision is made.

Will community be notified of the final outcome of Amplitel's lease request?

Yes. The Council decisions will be shared on this page as a new project update. Project followers and engagement participants who shared an email address with us will be notified directly of the outcome by email.

We will not provide a decision update to the local area by direct-mailbox notification, though. These updates are only shared with registered project followers and consultation participants who shared their email so they could receive these relevant project notifications.

It’s not too late to start following the page to receive project updates direct to your email! Just click the ‘Follow” button at the top of this page or call Caitlin on 8408 1132 to share your email address.

What happens after Council has made a final decision?

If Council ultimateley decides to approve the lease, Amplitel will need to submit a Development Application for their construction plans on the site (eg for the tower and equipment shed). This will be subject to development approval and will likely have a required period of public notice to allow for feedback on the proposed infrastructure (as opposed to the lease site).

The Development Application is a separate, legislated process and is not part of the community engagement on the lease proposal. Further updates from this stage on from Your Say Charles Sturt will be limited.