Indara Infrastructure Pty Ltd is seeking approval from Central Coast Council to construct a new telecommunications tower in McEvoy Oval at Umina Beach.
The monopole at 109 McEvoy Ave will support antennas and equipment to significantly improve Optus mobile telecommunications services with 4G and 5G services, including coverage and network capacity in the Umina Beach area.
Indara, Australia’s leading independent owner and operator of shared wireless telecommunications infrastructure with more than 4,300 telecommunications sites across Australia, has partnered with Optus Mobile Pty Ltd to expand the Optus mobile network across the country.
The proposed telecommunications compound will involve the installation of a 25m monopole, an antenna headframe, four 4G panel antennas (less than 2.8m long) eight 5G active antenna units (AAUs) (less than 1m long), outdoor equipment cabinet at ground level and various ancillary equipment.
The overall height of the facility will be 30m, contained in a fenced compound.
Indara says in the development application that it has been designed as a neutral host facility, capable of supporting co-location by other carriers, government entities and wireless service providers.
Once constructed, the facility will operate on an unmanned basis aside from periodic routine maintenance visits, generally two to four times a year.
Opportunities were limited for locating a freestanding monopole with adequate separation from dwellings and minimal visual intrusion in the built-up residential area.
Five other prospective locations in Umina were rejected after investigation deemed the McEvoy Oval location as the prime candidate.
Other prospects were the rooftops of Coles (Oscar St) and Woolworths (West St); Col Gooley Oval in Melbourne Ave, United in Ocean Beach Rd; and the substation in Osborne Ave.
The site at 109 McEvoy Ave is a large open recreation reserve already containing multiple vertical elements, including 30m light poles around the oval.
The development application states that the proposed facility will be viewed in context of the existing structures and will not appear as a dominant or isolated element.
Additionally, mature vegetation (approximately 20m high) surrounds the site, providing substantial screening from surrounding residential viewpoints.
More information is available in DA/870/2025 on the Central Coast Council website.
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