UPDATE: Council considered the community's feedback at the 15 March 2022 meeting and resolved to execute a new lease with Optus. Read a summary of your feedback in the Community Engagement Summary report.
You can read a copy of the full Council report and the minutes of the meeting on our website.
Consultation on the proposal to renew a lease with Optus for a small piece of land in Balcombe Park, Beaumaris is now closed. Your feedback is being collated and will be presented to Council to inform their decision.
The land measures 4.5m x 6m (27m2) and is hidden deep into the trees of the park, on the boundary of the neighbouring golf course.The land has a brick structure on it which houses telecommunications equipment and cabling that services a telecommunications tower on adjacent land. This structure has been there for 10 years, as part of an existing lease with Council, and there is no proposal to alter the building in any way. The building is accessible by a dirt track and there is no requirement to disturb or remove any vegetation when accessing the building.
PLEASE NOTE: This lease is not for the tower structure itself as that structure is on adjacent land and is subject to a separate sub-lease arrangement between Telstra and Optus that Council is not a party to.
The proposed sum of the lease is $20,000 per annum for 10 years with options to renew for two further terms of five years each.
Have your say now closed
We invited feedback via a short survey on the proposed lease of land in Balcombe Park, Beaumaris between 22 December 2021 - 9 January 2022.
Frequently asked questions
The land has a brick structure (shed) on it which houses telecommunications equipment that services a nearby telecommunications tower.
The lease is not for the tower building or tower as that is a sub-lease arrangement between Telstra and Optus that Council is not a party to.
The proposed new lease is for $20,000 per annum plus GST for a period of 10 years with options to renew for two further terms of five years each.
All income received by Council is used for initiatives outlined in the approved Annual Budget and informed by the Bayside 2050 Community Vision.
The current lease has been in place for the past 10 years.
The lease has already expired but there is a clause in place which allows continued occupation until a new lease is prepared. The proposed lease will replace the expired lease.
Council is committed to being open and transparent about all decisions it makes. This is reflected in Council’s Community and Stakeholder Engagement Policy 2021 and a requirement of Section 115 of the Local Government Act 2020.
Council and the community would lose approximately $535,000 in rent over a 20-year period and telecommunications services in the area could be compromised.
