Protest over TV mast

Press, 18 February 1977, Page 1

Protest over TV mast

Plans to build a television translator mast at South New Brighton are still being objected to on the ground that the top 12 m will be painted in bright orange and white stripes. Work is scheduled to start on Monday on the installation of the 27.5 m high mast and translator at the South New Brighton Domain. It will serve 63,000 Christchurch and Sumner viewers by bringing them full two-channel viewing. The South Brighton Residents’ Association, which originally objected to the siting of the mast on another site in the reserve, has sent the City Council the latest objection. “The Civil Aviation Division has stipulated that the mast be painted brightly because it is hazardous to aircraft,” said the association’s president (Mr G. M. Dor-

reen). “But it was originally agreed, at a meeting of all interested parties, that the structure should be painted to blend in with the trees of the domain.” Mr Dorrecn said that the Civil Aviation stipulation was unreasonable because the minimum height for aircraft over the area was 1000 feet (600 m). There were many other towers, masts and high structures iu the city which w 7 ere not painted in orange and white stripes. Mr Dorreen said that an alternative would be for a flashing light to be installed on top of the translator mast. This would cost another $5OO. Councillor Vicki Buck has undertaken to argue the association’s case at a meeting of the City Council on Monday. “The plan sounds like a giant lollipop scheme and the mast would stick out like a sore thumb,” she said. “The decision is a

flagrant violation of the spirit of the meeting held between all groups.” The acting regional engineer for the Broadcasting Corporation of New Zealand (Mr A. ,1. Chirnside) said that the mast would be painted orange and white for the 12m it protruded above the height of neighbouring trees. Viewers in Sumner and hill areas of south-east Christchurch have been waiting a long time to receive full two-channel coverage but the argument has held up progress. The go-ahead for the translator project came with approval by the Minister of Lands (Mr V. S. Young) for the use of the reserve land. An application for a building permit has been lodged with the City Council. The new translator will beam a TV2 signal to 3900 Sumner residents through

the existing Sumner translator, which will be modified to do this. It will also serve residents of Recliffs, McCormack’s Bay, St Andrew’s Hill and Huntsbury Hill. The translator will mean TV2 programmes and an improved TVI picture for viewers who have been receiving TVI through a Redcliffs translator or direct from Sugarloaf.