Radio aerials are set to sprout across the city after the Tauranga City Council refused to appeal an Environment Court decision allowing up to 20m high aerials in Tauranga.

A group of 56 Veda Glen residents this week petitioned the council to appeal the Environment Court decision to the High Court.

Residents asked council to back a petition to stop the erection of radio aerials in Tauranga. Photo: File.

Radio ham operators spokesman Brian Heywood says Tauranga hams have been held back for the last 10 years unable to pursue their hobby as, unlike the rest of New Zealand, Tauranga did not recognise them.

'It's been suppressed for ten years, this is the thing,” says ham operators spokesman Brian Heywood.

Tauranga amateur operator clubs submitted in the 10 Year Plan process to change the rules to align with the rest of the country and allow their aerials, but were denied by the council.

The group then took the council to the Environment Court and won.

Brian's neighbours this week petitioned the council to appeal the Environment Court decision to allow the installation of a 20m high radio aerial.

The neighbours produced a valuaton report stating that just looking at Brian's aerial will cost them a $50,000 loss in property values.

The Tauranga City Council refused to support their cause stating an appeal would be a waste of time.

It means Brian can erect a yagi aerial, similar to an old-style television aerial with 14.9metre long elements on a 13metre boom, in the yard of his Pyes Pa home.

'I know of three hams that have got towers built ready to go,” says Brian.

'They will be up before mine.”

Because ham operators' aerials are common around the rest of the country, there is a government requirement for the operators to be disaster prepared.

Tauranga ham operators provided civil defence communications in the 2005 floods, and communications for land search and rescue when people get lost in the bush, and when dementia patients get lost in the city.

They also assisted at the AIMS Games and the Scout's annual mudslide at Omokoroa.

'Some people say we should be happy with that,” says Brian.

'But it's only because we have one at home that we have a continuing interest in helping the community.”

The residents argued that section 32 of the Resource Management Act was not given due consideration in the original hearing.

Senior policy planner Campbell Larking says section 32 was considered in the interim decision and told council an appeal would be futile and expose council to paying the costs.

The appeal period expired in June, and any appeal can now only be made via the High Court, which would be unlikely to grant a waiver to file out of time – as the parties, the radio operator clubs and the city council, filed a joint memorandum to give effect to the Environment Court's interim decision dated September 7.