Despite receiving negative feedback in two rounds of public consultation and a town petition, Penrith Council passed the development application of the Telstra mobile-phone base station at a council meeting on Monday, December1.

The proposed 35-metre concrete pole will provide for Telstra's Next G network.

This utilises third-generation (3G) digital mobile technology for faster data speeds, enabling video calling, video-based services and wireless broadband.

Telstra spokeswoman Jacqueline Crompton, who represented applicant Daly International at the meeting, said there was a need to provide a high level of 3G coverage to Llandilo where there was a significant coverage deficiency.

The nearest facilities to the site are about 2.5kilometres away at Londonderry and Cranebrook.

Both have the existing Telstra facility, however the applicant said coverage failed to reach Llandilo.

A local for 30 years, Michael Farrugia is one of the 157 people who signed the petition out of the 258 residents council notified about the development application.

He fears for the health of residents in the rural town, especially his elderly parents and sickly niece who live close to the proposed site.

``We want a contract signed by Telstra and the council to say that in the future if there's a problem with the tower with radiation that they will be accountable for it,'' he said. ``I use Vodafone. I don't have a problem with technology we just want to be left alone.''

Berkshire Park resident Lisa Xuereb, a member of both the Shane Park Action Group and the Llandilo Primary School parent council, said the school felt it was too close to the site, at 550 metres away.

``Mobile phones are still a young technology,'' she said.

``We don't know much about its effects. We don't know what will happen in 20 years' time. This could end up like the James Hardie case. They found out 20 years later that asbestos was dangerous. We're afraid this tower will make our kids sick.''

Another Telstra spokeswoman said Telstra understood most of the community opposition to the tower was due to concern over electromagnetic energy levels.

Telstra said it relied on the expert advice of national and international health authorities, such as the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency and the World Health Organisation.

Telstra said the operating level of the tower would peak no higher than 2000 times below the safety limit.