Radiation fear as energy giant builds near school

ENERGYAUSTRALIA will forge ahead with plans to build a controversial substation close to Yeshiva College.

In the face of concerns from the school and neighbouring residents, the electricity giant was looking at alternative locations, but has decided the Anglesea Street, Bondi, site is the most suitable.

In a statement, a spokesperson for EnergyAustralia said  that the other locations investigated by engineers included nearby parklands, vacant land in Bondi Road and other sites in the area.

“The alternative sites we investigated weren’t suitable because it would have meant a loss of community parklands and sporting facilities, as well as extensive roadworks and excavation to relocate underground cables,” the spokesperson said. “We are continuing to talk with the local Yeshiva College to reassure them the substation is designed to be safe for the community and strictly meet all ­relevant health and safety ­standards.”

But Yeshiva College consulting principal Rebbetzin Pnina Feldman said there was still uneasiness among parents about the safety of children.

“I’m concerned that there may be validity to the concerns of the parents,” she said.

As younger children are apparently more susceptible to the effects of electromagnetic radiation, Yeshiva now plans to prevent children under the age of 12 going within 200 metres of the substation, which means a proposed new building is unlikely to go ahead.

“We had intended building out the back for our younger kids, and we’re no longer going to be able to do that,” Rebbetzin Feldman said. “If we do build out the back it will be for the older kids.

“We need to relocate the younger kids and that is, for various reasons, an unexpected expense for the college, and so we will be seeking compensation for that expense of ­relocation.”

That process is underway, with the school already in negotiations with EnergyAustralia on the issue of compensation.

“Hopefully, we’re going to resolve the matter peacefully,” she said.

“It has begun in writing and it’s begun verbally and we’ll see over the next couple of weeks hopefully where it leads.”

She said she hoped there wouldn’t be a need for legal proceedings.

“They seem to be willing to cooperate, but then again, they seemed to be willing to cooperate when they said they were going to move the substation and they didn’t,” she said.

“So it’s hard to know how much is talk and how much is reality.”

GARETH NARUNSKY

Artist impression of traditional feel substation (Source: EnergyAustralia)