Last month the association added its voice to health concerns raised in respect of the new 5G telecommunications network being developed & deployed in Australia.
The association’s concerns were aroused by the adoption by council of a proposal called the "
Southern Lights Project" which, in turn, had been recommended to its members by the
Canberra Joint Regional Organisation (CJRO) & was concerned with promoting the application of “
SMART” technology.
Having raised its concerns with council & requested it to seek clarification from the
CJRO as to what underlying communications technology was going to be used to support the
Southern Lights Project applications, the association contacted
The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA), which cites its purpose as:
“We are the Australian Government’s primary authority on radiation protection and nuclear safety. We protect the Australian people and the environment from the harmful effects of radiation through understanding risks, best practice regulation, research, policy, services, partnerships and engaging with the community.”
In response to its concerns, ARPANSA advised the association that:
“At exposure levels below the limits set within the ARPANSA safety standard, it is the assessment of ARPANSA and international organisations such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation (ICNIRP) that there is no established scientific evidence to support any adverse health effects from very low RF EME exposures to populations or individuals.”
While the association was reassured by ARPANSA's advice, it nevertheless sought “
any comments/observations regarding the recent appeal by 180 doctors/scientists calling-on the European Union to appoint an independent taskforce to reassess the health effects of 5G wireless technology?”
In the wake of these developments, the association went back & reviewed the earlier advice it had received from
ARPANSA, including the links in that advice to the
World Health Organisation (WHO) &
International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation (ICNIRP). It was surprised to find that
the WHO advice dated back to 2006, while
the ICNIRP's statement made no reference to
5G technology.
In addition, a more careful reading of ARPANSA’s earlier advice made it clear that, apart from justifying its position on 5G technology on the basis of old releases by WHO & ICNIRP, it maintained that its position was supported by virtue of the fact “that there is no established scientific evidence to support any adverse health effects from very low RF EME exposures to populations or individuals”.
The association believes that for any regulatory body, including ARPANSA, to be adopting a scientific position on that basis & using that position as the foundation for an industry standard that will impact on the entire population is not only extraordinary but totally dishonest & negligent.
The association also believes that it is important to note that WHO does not perform research nor fund research, while the ICNIRP is currently reviewing its position on the health effects of RF EME exposures.
So, how many consumers would knowingly take medicine that has not been subject to rigorous clinical trials & approvals processes before being released? None.
How many consumers would knowingly purchase a motor vehicle or fly in an aircraft that has not been subject to the most rigorous safety testing? None.
How many consumers would knowingly buy food or drink that is not subject to the highest hygiene standards? None.
And yet, it would seem that Telstra & other telecommunications companies are being permitted to roll-out new 5G telecommunications networks in Australia without the possible health implications of exposure to that technology having been subject to industry scrutiny, let alone rigorous independent scientific investigation.
And, to add insult to injury, a further check on
ARPANSA’s website reveals
a public release contemporaneous to its advice to the association, which is equally unequivocal in claiming that the limits of electromagnetic energy emissions currently prescribed the standards “
are set well below levels at which harm to people may occur”, while that same release states:
“Dr Karipidis acknowledges that there are gaps in this knowledge that require further research, ‘ARPANSA therefore has made recommendations for areas where further studies are needed. The recommendations include research for frequencies above 6 GHz and for emerging technologies that use them like 5G. Despite gaps in the knowledge, no health effects are expected from radio frequency exposures below the limits set in the ARPANSA standard.”
The “recommendations” referred to by Dr Karipidis are just that - recommendations. They are also a clear acknowledgement of the absence of adequate & definitive scientific evidence establishing that there are no public health risks inherent through the deployment of 5G technology.
The ARPANSA release concludes with the following reassurance from Dr Karipidis:
“ARPANSA will continue to review the available research on 5G and other upcoming technologies in order to provide advice to the Australian people”.
Wow. Thank goodness for that.
So, the federal government body responsible for establishing & maintaining the safety standard necessary to protect Australians from injury to their health via electromagnetic energy emissions, ARPANSA, does so on the basis “that there is no established scientific evidence to support any adverse health effects from very low RF EME exposures to populations or individuals”, while knowing that the necessary studies that might reveal such adverse effects have not been undertaken.
That’s just “Junk Science”.
John Richardson
Secretary/Treasurer
Bega Valley Shire Residents & Ratepayers Association
Tel: 0264945669
Email: secretary@begavalleyshireratepayers.asn.au
Website: http://www.begavalleyshireratepayers.asn.au