Is erecting a cell tower 'visual vandalism'? The residents of this suburb think so

Residents from a leafy Wellington suburb are protesting the “offensive” erection of an “exceptionally ugly” large cell tower next to a century-old church, which they say is vandalism.

The Kelburn Residents’ Association is campaigning against telecommunications company Spark’s proposal to build a 14.5m cell tower and equipment cabinets on a footpath in the centre of their village.

The group said it proposed a nearby alternate location for the tower that is less “offensive”, but the company did not accept.

Meanwhile, the company constructing the tower said the planned site was the best option and they had already refined the tower’s design in response to community feedback.

Cell towers have become a sore spot for communities across New Zealand, frustrated that companies wanting to build cell towers in residential zones do not have to carry out formal public consultation.

Kelburn residents will soon put up hoardings to oppose the erection of a new cell tower, with this design that reads: "Spark is vandalising our village".

Current legislation states towers can be built on road reserve land, like footpaths and berms, even if these are close to residential or community buildings.

Companies have pushed back against public opposition, saying investment in infrastructure is needed to maintain and improve connectivity around the country.

In June, a Pāpāmoa family said they were blindsided by a proposal to install a 15m cell tower on a berm outside their home.

In 2025, Gisborne residents similarly opposed a 15m tower going up outside a home, going so far as to block work from progressing.

This week, a petition was created to protest a cell tower being built on the intersection of Upland Rd and St Michael’s Cres, next to St Michael’s Church.

One Kelburn resident who signed it called cell towers “exceptionally ugly eyesores”.

Another signatory said the idea of erecting one next to the historical church would be “offensive” and an “act of vandalism”.

Spokesman for the resident’s association, John Swan, said the tower would “significantly detract” from the green space next to the church that locals enjoyed gathering on.

“The emphasis will go away from the church and its associated buildings, which have heritage value, and onto a filthy great tower with speed limit signs ... It’s offensive to the neighbourhood.”

John Swan wants the new tower be placed behind the church, on private land which already contains other cell towers (pictured).

Swan acknowledged while “Nimbys” - short for “not in my backyard” - were prevalent around his community, students from Victoria University who lived in Kelburn “might not buy into ‘visual vandalism’”.

He wanted Connexa, the mobile tower infrastructure company that partnered with Spark, to consider putting the tower next to other existing towers behind the church, where it would be less visible.

These towers were built on private property owned by someone who was open to more towers being erected on their land, he said.

“We’ve put the propositions [to Connexa] of the damage that will be done, they listen politely and eventually say, ‘We’re entitled to do this under the law.’”

He also believed that, because Kelburn was served by multiple cell towers, the suburb did not suffer any cell service coverage gaps that warranted a new tower being built.

John Swan standing next to one of the existing cell towers behind the church.

Companies say more coverage needed, site best option

Growing demand on mobile networks was placing pressure on existing cell sites in parts of Wellington, Spark’s corporate affairs lead Rachel Morton said.

“Each site has a finite amount of capacity shared across the people using it at any given time, which can become constrained as usage increases, particularly at busy times.”

Some areas needed investment to improve their limited coverage, especially those with growing communities, she said.

Spark made a “significant investment” each year to build and upgrade its 4G and 5G network to ensure present and future reliability.

Outlines show where the equipment cabinet will sit on the St Michael's Crescent footpath.

Connexa’s planning and engagement lead Fiona Matthews said the new Kelburn cell tower needed to be in a location where “coverage was optimised”.

Multiple sites were considered against technical, safety and regulatory requirements.

The location next to the church was the most suitable to deliver coverage and performance improvements, she said.

Matthews said Connexa had discussed the proposal for the tower with Wellington City Council and the church, and also followed the Telecommunications Forum community engagement guidelines.

The council said it had issued a certificate of compliance for the tower and noted Connexa had chosen to apply for the certificate, despite it not being mandatory.

John Swan points towards where the cell tower will be erected, while Connexa workers mark out where the work will take place. An orange circle on the footpath indicates where the base of the tower will sit.

Residents were informed of the plans via letters sent on June 29.

In a second letter sent on August 6, Connexa confirmed construction of the tower would begin in late August and would take between five and seven days.

The company recognised the area next to the church was “an important community area” and said it “refined the design” of the tower after receiving residents’ feedback.

The number of cabinets would be reduced from four to two, and they would be painted a green colour to blend in with their surroundings.

The existing speed sign would also be integrated on to the tower to “maximise footpath space”.

Swan said these changes were not enough to appease disgruntled residents, who planned to soon erect hoardings around the village that read: “Spark is vandalising our village”.

Janhavi Gosavi is a Wellington-based journalist for the New Zealand Herald who covers news in the capital.