Non-significant telecommunications infrastructure
This exemption is for the upgrade or installation of telecommunication infrastructure that is not of heritage significance.
Examples of typical activities/works include:
- increasing the size or number of antennae on an approved tower or fixing point
- installation of new telephone and/or internet cabling
- upgrade of a communications switchboard.
For more information on significance see the Significance and Significant Fabric fact sheet .
Standard Exemption 6. Non-significant telecommunications infrastructure
General conditions (see page 6 of Government Gazette) apply to the use of all Standard Exemptions and must be complied with.
The following specified activities/works to an item do not require approval under subsection 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1977 if the specified activities/works are undertaken in accordance with each of the relevant standards prescribed below.
Specified activities/works:
- Upgrade or installation of telecommunication infrastructure.
- Upgrade of existing telecommunication towers.
Relevant standards:
- Activities/works must not involve alteration to, damage to, or the removal of, significant fabric.
- The specified activities/works must not impact significant views to or from the item and landscape values, including landscape or archaeological features.
- Any excavation must comply with Standard Exemption 8: Excavation*.
- Any new hardware must not be attached to the primary or significant façade(s) and must be discreetly located to reduce negative visual impact.
- Any new fabric must not obscure significant fabric or limit access to significant fabric for future maintenance.
- Reuse of existing fixing points in significant fabric is permitted.
- Existing service routes and/or conduits may be deleted if the installation can be streamlined into one existing service route, cavity or void.
- There is no increase in height of any existing telecommunication towers or vantage point and no more than a 20% increase in the size of the antenna array on the approved tower or fixing point.
- Telecommunications infrastructure must be able to be later removed without damage to the significant fabric of the item.
Guidance
*Note on Standard Exemption 8: Excavation Any excavation or disturbance of land requires compliance with Standard Exemption “8: Excavation” relevant standards (b), (c) and (d). Compliance with Standard Exemption “8: Excavation” specified activities/works (a) is not required. However, if the activities/works cannot comply with the relevant standards, then approval is required.