THE Broadmeadows Progress Association's push against
smart meters has gained momentum, with Hume Council agreeing
to discuss residents' health concerns and vote on pursuing
the issue with the state government.
About 70 people packed the council chambers at last
week's council meeting. After a prolonged campaign by the
association, the issue was brought to the forefront and
councillors unanimously decided to vote on the residents'
concerns over escalating electricity costs, health scares,
billing problems, loss of privacy, and insufficient
independent supervision and regulations.
The issues will be voted on at the council meeting on
May 14.
The government, which began the rollout in 2009, aims
to introduce the meters to 2.2million homes and 300,000
businesses by 2013. Smart meters allow for remote billing,
instant connection and disconnection and record electricity
use every 30minutes.
The association voiced its concerns over the new
meters to the council in light of recent health scares and
house fires associated with them.
In November last year, the MFB launched an
investigation into three fires in smart-meter switchboards.
It found they were not caused by the meters but could have
been caused by issues surrounding installation.
Association assistant secretary Sonja Rutherford said
residents wanted answers from the government.
"People are very concerned because they're being
forced to have a device which they don't want," she said.
"There's a lot of unknowns and people are being
'bullied by the power distributors and lied to'."
Mrs Rutherford said power companies had installed
meters at some properties without residents' permission. She
said people were concerned for their health. "There are
people now who think that the smart meters are giving off
radiation. We know people in Keilor who painted their house
with electromagnetic shielding paint to reflect the
radiation."
A Camp
Road resident said she had requested to have a smart meter
installed at a later date but the installation was done when
she was not home. "I'm worried about the different voltages
coming through the house; they don't test them. I'd hate to
come home and find I don't have a house."
A
spokeswoman for Energy and Resources Minister Michael
O'Brien said a review found the new meters met all health
standards and were being installed safely.
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