Do you/have you live(d) near powerlines (transmission towers)?

moomilky on 30/12/2020 - 18:17
Last edited 04/01/2021 - 15:58

I'm thinking about buying a house that's a little over 200m away from some powerlines (transmission towers, not the normal timber ones in the front of the street).

I'm convinced from what I've read that links to cancer risks are either negligible at this distance or not valid.

I'd like to know if there are other things to consider if you live near them. Noises, pollution, interference, etc

Anyone live(d) near them have any input?

Edit: Just want to make it more clear - I'm interested in annoyances, not cancer risks

For those who are interested and/or for future reference, I took a reading from the street, 2 houses closer to the transmission towers. It fluctuated between 0.19 and 0.22 milligauss, which is very safe.

A reading from my lounge room where I currently live, with my phone in hand and TV on was between 0.01 and 0.06.

Reading from near my WiFi router, with phone in hand was between 0.06 and 0.13

Home & Garden

Comments

    • GOCAT9 on 31/12/2020 - 09:47
      +4

      BATMANBEER:What a load of rubbish! Not the facts, just the conclusion you make!

      What about this. I knew a guy who lived near power lines. He drove a motor like and was killed within 3 months of living there. CONCLUSION: Don’t ride a motor bike if you live near power lines, it’s dangerous -yeah, right!

    • This Guy on 01/01/2021 - 12:06

      The sun is a giant nuclear reactor, so big it's size is beyond comprehension. To get more radiation from a transmission line than from standing outside in sunlight (radiation), you would need to almost be touching it.

      You would die from electrocution from a transmission line before you could receive more radiation from one than the sun.

      The tower shouldn't be conducting electricity. That is wasteful and dangerous. The distance is the distance to the wires in the air.

      If anything it would be contaminated land, like dumped chemicals by a prior owner.

    • spaceflight on 02/01/2021 - 16:45
      +3

      Their case was because they were exposed to long-term radiation from living directly next to the transmission tower.

      No it wasn't.

      Power lines do not emit ionising radiation and non-ionising radiation does not cause cancer.

    • derrida derider on 03/01/2021 - 08:06

      They could have had a genetic predisposition to cancer, they could have all eaten the same nitrite-preserved foods, they could have lived in a coal mining area, they could all have had medical x-rays etc etc. Why assume it had anything at all to do with the powerlines?

      Even ignoring that about 1 in 3 deaths in Australia are due to cancer (we all eventually have to die of something). So just by pure coincidence alone about one in 27 families of three would all die of cancer.

      This sort of thing is why anecdotes are not data.

  • moomilky on 30/12/2020 - 20:28

    Just wanted to post a reminder to new comments, I'm interested in first hand accounts of annoyances of living near these towers - not opinions about safety.

    • SF3 on 30/12/2020 - 20:36
      +14

      An annoyance would be people keep talking about it and have a ton of opinions vs if you didn’t live near a tower.

      • moomilky on 30/12/2020 - 20:37
        +6

        That's actually a very good point

    • Tasmaniac on 01/01/2021 - 15:05
      -4

      I don't think they're safe. That's just my opinion though.

  • RockyRaccoon on 30/12/2020 - 20:55
    +2

    There are transmission lines and transmission lines

    The SA govt site mentions these

    Common types of powerlines in South Australia
    415 V distribution lines. Voltage. 415 V. …
    11 kV lines. Voltage. 11,000 V (11 kV) …
    19 kV SWER (single wire earth return) lines. Voltage. 19,000 V (19kV) …
    33 kV lines. Voltage. 33,000 V (33kV) …
    66 kV lines. Voltage. 66,000 V (66 kV) …
    132 kV and 275 kV lines. Voltage.

    So which ones are you refering to

    Greater than 66000V would be the ones with big metal towers with multiple feet (mini Eiffel tower like)
    Under that they are just like normal towers but bigger and thicker, mostly concrete vs wooden local power lines.

    (edit from site below it looks like some 132V lines can be single pole)

    See images here, scroll downwhen visiting site

    https://www.electranet.com.au/our-approach/safety/transmissi…

    • moomilky on 30/12/2020 - 23:01

      There's a 275kv (far left) and a 132kv (4th from left) right beside it.

      I'm not concerned about cancer risks, but curious to know if people have experienced other issues or annoyances.

      • macrocephalic on 02/01/2021 - 11:08

        Annoyances are that you can't fly kites. I haven't really found any other issues.

  • voo123 on 30/12/2020 - 21:09
    +4

    I've rented a home about 25m from the high voltage transmission towers. I couldn't find any conclusive evidence about serious health implications however the perceptions are still there regardless and will affect prospective buyers. Banks will still give you the loan but the LMI company will not insure you if powerlines are too close.

    In terms of annoyances, theres a faint humming/buzzing sound especially after rainfall or on a hot summers day. I can only hear it outside in the backyard though but have gotten used to it. It just becomes white noise after a short time though.

    Keep in mind, even if you manage to buy the property for cheap, it will also sell for cheap in return so its all relative. It would probably take a longer time to sell due to the unfounded health perception.

  • akyeeeahdude on 30/12/2020 - 21:17
    +4

    200m from 415kv distribution lines, at least in my view, is quite far away. You'll enjoy why I made that statement - I lived in a rental for 2.5 years with a 415kw distribution line/tower 11m from the house. Check out the street view - https://www.google.com/maps/place/12+Boxwood+Pl,+Carseldine+…

    They make noise when it's humid or raining but it's a very low hum or crackle. You're question is a bit confusing though as you say you're not concerned about health impacts but then express concern about headaches and air quality etc. There's absolutely no adverse impact on air quality to answer your question, nor did I or any of the occupants suffer headaches.

    It's been about 12.5 years since we moved out - my wife and I were quite young at the time and living with the father-in-law. My wife gets limpomas in her body which only started a couple years ago but there's a family history - her Dad/my father-in-law had them before he lived at this property.

    BTW 6 years after moving, my father-in-law was diagnosed with a meningioma (growth in the brain) which was found after causing some concerning symptoms warranting further investigation. Looking at meningiomas, there is a link according to some studies indicating an increased risk when living in close proximity to high voltage lines.

    https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ijc.25765

    "This increase became significant for meningiomas, especially when considering ELF separately [OR = 3.02; 95 percent confidence interval (95% CI) =1.10–8.25]. The risk of meningioma was also higher in subjects living in the vicinity of power lines (<100 m), even if not significant (OR = 2.99, 95% CI 0.86–10.40). These data suggest that occupational or residential exposure to ELF may play a role in the occurrence of meningioma."

    • jason101 on 30/12/2020 - 21:41
      +1

      Anyone else slightly spooked after reading the linked article…..?

      • akyeeeahdude on 30/12/2020 - 22:14
        +8

        Or you could just do what many people do and just say blah blah no increased risk of anything. You then ask them how/why they came to that conclusion and they almost always can't tell you why. I mean who takes peer reviewed articles and studies as even remotely factual anyway? Sarcasm

        Knowing what I know now - would I live 200m from distribution lines? Absolutely. Would I live 100-150m from them? Maybe - if the house was a good deal or in a great location and my daughter had grown up and moved out. Under 100m - absolutely not. Not worth the health risk but also resale woes.

    • moomilky on 30/12/2020 - 22:07

      Wow that is insanely close! Very interesting info you've shared.

      You're question is a bit confusing though as you say you're not concerned about health impacts but then express concern about headaches and air quality etc.

      Yeah I think I could have worded it more specifically. Given the distance, I'm not overly concerned about cancer risks. I guess I was viewing headaches and air quality as annoyances and more minor, when most people probably view them as serious health risks as well.

      Sorry to hear about your wife and her dad. Hope they're doing better now.

      • akyeeeahdude on 30/12/2020 - 22:19
        +4

        Thanks mate. Lipomas are harmless and rarely (almost never probsbly) malignant so no issues there.

        Meningiomas are much more scary and fortunately the father-in-law's operation went well and 5-6 years on, there's no sign of any reoccurrence of meningiomas. It was also benign so not cancerous.

    • Lifeinflow on 01/01/2021 - 08:41
      +1

      Just a little research interpretation.
      1- The research looked at multiple different forms of tumours but only found a result in meningioma.
      2- In the process of doing multiple tests the researchers bring in multiple comparisons issues which increase the likelihood of finding a significant result by chance.
      3- The research was based on a group of individuals who already had tumours, therefore there is limited indication of the actual prevalence of tumours to give context to the result. A quick google gave me an estimate of about 1/1000 so, if true these results would increase an extremely low chance to a slightly higher by still extremely low chance.
      4- The results are only minimally significant or non significant with extremely large confidence intervals. The result could range from effectively no increase/reduction in chance, to an increase of 10 times or so. This throws the conclusions into question and suggests the actual size of the effect was too small to appropriately measure with the given sample size.
      5 - All that said, there is a trend towards there being a possible effect which suggests a need for more research to confirm the results.

      Glad your father in tumor free btw

  • Forfiet on 30/12/2020 - 22:11
    +2

    I'm not jumping in with an opinion on living near one, but having walk under transmission towers when travelling on foot with my mate a few years ago……. You can definitely feel something weird, maybe even uncomfortable(could of been static)…. Can't say I'd buy one close too a tower without having been under/around one personally. :(

    P.S: Feel free to ignore this ramble as it's not an researched opinion.

    • moomilky on 30/12/2020 - 22:12
      +3

      It's your personal experience with one, so I find it helpful still.

      I think it's more what I'm after at the moment, to be honest… Personal experiences.

      • LFO on 31/12/2020 - 11:04
        +4

        Spending some time in a farm WITH humongous towers and powerlines crossing the land.

        NEVER felt anything physical when walking or standing right under the powerlines.

        THERE IS a mild buzzing sound depending on humidity. Very strong buzzing sound when a light drizzle. Never tried under the rain … because of the cold rain not the powerlines …

        FARMING animals (dozens of pigs, 3 (three) cows and 2 (two) horses) were also often seen under the powerlines although they had the choice of hectares of lands AWAY from the powerlines. Pigs in particular, that are very "skin" sensitive, chose to roam and dig muddy holes right under the powerlines although land AWAY from the powerlines was available (not fenced). They freely chose to roam under the powerlines.

        Not sure if it is factual, but locals believe you are safer under the powerlines during an electric storm as it has its own "lightning rods" (wires) protecting that massive electricity grid.

        Never lived (home living) nearby powerlines but my only concern will be "static" electricity affecting (not damaging, just "noise") electronics.

  • sunnyc on 31/12/2020 - 00:10
    -3

    Radiation is real. 200m seems far but I would like it further away. 200m could only be 10-20 houses away.

    • SBOB on 31/12/2020 - 07:02
      +4

      How far away do you think underground power cables are?
      Or those 240v ones in your wall?

      • sunnyc on 31/12/2020 - 11:20
        -1

        It's all around us but it's nothing compared to the transmission towers.

        • SBOB on 31/12/2020 - 13:23
          +3

          Going to need to show your working there.

          EMF comparison for HV over 200m compared to LV at less than 1m in your house. What's the difference? ;)

  • pepitovfr on 31/12/2020 - 08:10
    +1

    Has anybody received a definitive answer as to why banks don't like lending to purchase houses very close to power lines?

    • HelpMeiCantSee on 31/12/2020 - 08:50
      +6

      Because they can do whatever they want…

    • SBOB on 31/12/2020 - 08:59
      +1

      Likely because of the perceived risk or visual deterrent of living near HV power lines results in less demand and a lower price.

    • LFO on 31/12/2020 - 10:46
      +2

      Probably because the applicant didn't have enough collateral (including deposit) to make a loan feasible.

      It makes sense reasoning dwellings close or near power lines will be cheaper to buy.
      So it will probably attract lower economic individuals that generally do not have enough savings nor wealth generation.

      I'll say the applicants are the risk, not the property by itself, hence the loan is rejected.

      If in doubt of this opinion, offer a >40% deposit and see if any bank rejects a loan.

    • macrocephalic on 02/01/2021 - 11:10

      Banks only care about the perceived value, and people who don't understand science can have a large effect on perceived value.

  • buderim11 on 31/12/2020 - 08:40

    If you have any doubts , don't buy it…

  • munecito on 31/12/2020 - 10:47
    +4

    This bloke knows all about living close to powerlines. And airports.

    https://youtu.be/TM-GVRvsZrA#t=0m35s

    • moomilky on 31/12/2020 - 11:35

      Classic!

  • 82norm on 31/12/2020 - 10:51

    I think the aesthetic looks could be a deterrent when it comes to sale time. I knew a family who had a fantastic country property with rolling hills and nice outlook, however right through the middle were massive transmission lines… real turn off. They got the property cheap and we know why. So just be mindful of potential resale value/time.

    • LFO on 31/12/2020 - 11:05
      +1

      Planting trees to block the unsightly view does the trick.

  • OzHunterNSW on 31/12/2020 - 11:18

    Land is cheap in these areas for a very good reason.

    Ask yourself… would you truely be happy each and every day you open the curtains you are faced with the ugly sight of monstrous power lines?

    You are concerned now… imagine when you move in.

    You owe it to your family to move to a more "friendly" neighbourhood.

    How far are you from transport, shops, work… I bet you have to drive 1hour each way.

    • moomilky on 31/12/2020 - 13:48
      +2

      Honestly you can't really see them from the house until you walk out to the street, the neighbourhood is friendly in terms of people. 2 mins walk to the bus, 20 mins walk to the local shopping centre, close to milk bar, 15 mins drive from work. It ticks a lot of boxes.

      As mentioned, I was just curious about noises and annoyances that may affect my quality of life and it sounds like there are none.

      • Lichen6420 on 01/01/2021 - 16:25

        People and friends sharing their opinions about the powerlines near your house could become an annoyance….

        • mskram on 01/01/2021 - 18:12
          +1

          That's a one-off occurrence per person max, it's not that big of an issue.

  • rocmelon on 31/12/2020 - 11:25
    +4

    Just think of free energy.
    hold one end of a 6 foot fluro tube,
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvQ9H9K7XeM

  • MontyMacaw on 31/12/2020 - 13:25

    Where’s Pete Evans when you need him? #twat

  • morse on 31/12/2020 - 13:32
    +2

    Grew up next to a transmission substation and high voltage power lines. Never noticed anything as a kid, but my mum constantly worried about the possible health impacts (it was installed after they bought). Bonus was that we got extra land to use which was owned by the power company, but completely vacant (mum put in a veggie patch and grew fruit trees etc), we had a huge area to play in, including a great billy cart track (service road). I think from memory they do hum a little, so depends if that would bother you.

    • moomilky on 31/12/2020 - 13:50
      +1

      Thanks! I did a test drive after reading some of the comments. Parked in front of the house, turned my engine off and rolled down the windows. Heard nothing, so I imagine inside the house will be even more quiet.

  • alan smithee on 31/12/2020 - 15:12
    +15

    Earthing engineer here.

    The biggest safety risk living around transmission lines is from touch voltage hazards. During an earth fault, large currents are injected into the soil causing potentially dangerous touch voltages at nearby metallic objects. The touch voltages can be thousands of volts but only last say 0.1 seconds.
    The touch voltage hazard at your location would be dependent on the resistivity of the soil in the area. The more resistive, the bigger the voltages are and the further the voltages can travel away from the tower base.

    Anyway, there are a bunch of Australian Standards and guidelines dedicated to keeping people safe from touch voltages such as AS 7000 and ENA EG-0. The only problem is, there is not enough money or resources to make all the touch voltages perfectly safe, especially for transmission lines. Safety relies on the fact that you might have only one fault every 10 years (a phase to earth fault can follow on through the ionised air during a lightning strike for example) and to get killed, you would need to be touching something metallic (fence or garden tap) during that 0.1 seconds when there is a fault. This 1 in a million chance of being electrocuted by a transmission tower is deemed acceptable, however.

    There is higher risk for animals near a tower though as their front and back legs are always on the ground which creates a path for current to flow through the heart. There have been many cases of animals being electrocuted around power poles during an earth fault. Again though, it’s a low probability event.

    200m away, you’ll probably be OK… unless you have water pipes affected by low frequency induction…

    • JustinHardie on 31/12/2020 - 22:51
      +6

      Second this. 15 years ago I had a job investigating EMF related complaints.

      An EMF Meter is like $30 on eBay, can use to check for stray currents, see if anything concerns you in area. And reference readings with standards (I would be looking at EU standards on environmental/health issues).

    • Ragnarok1983 on 02/01/2021 - 15:07

      SafeGrid, SKM Powertools or CDEGS?

  • MagicOZ on 31/12/2020 - 22:17
    +1

    My mother develop cancer, there were many risks already present (such as genetic), but she also lived in less that 10 meters from power transformer. I can't be sure if that had to do something, but the risk from being exposed and have some increased probability of developing cancer maybe real.

    • SBOB on 31/12/2020 - 22:22
      +1

      I can't be sure if that had to do something

      Sorry about your mum's cancer, but non ionizing radiation, which is all that is emitted from elec power lines or a transformer, can't cause cancer..

      So you can rest easy, that your mum's living location wasn't the cause or added factor in your mum's unfortunate illness.

      • skazclaw on 02/01/2021 - 01:01
        -1

        non ionizing radiation not being harmful is BS

    • Ragnarok1983 on 02/01/2021 - 15:09

      Correlation is not causation.

  • Oofy Doofy on 31/12/2020 - 22:22
    +1

    I knew an older couple who had a 4G tower in their yard (pretty big almost half acre of land around their house). They got paid handsomely for it to be there, around 70k pa or so at the time. When they went to sell their property, they were able to command a few million dollars just because of the income it provided. They had been asked many times if there was any worry about the exposure, but had said many times as a joke, the money that comes in makes up for any concerns they have.

    • aboogee on 31/12/2020 - 22:54

      whilst your story does seem to make sense, i think the bigger picture might be, they could have sold the property for more than a few mil if it didnt have the comms tower?
      for the telco to be willing to pay 70k rental suggests that it made sense for telco to rent for 70k per annum rather than to buy the property outright?
      am i missing something here?

      • Oofy Doofy on 31/12/2020 - 23:48

        It was installed on the property while they were living there, which was a growing area at the time (they'd moved there long before).

        No, there's no way they could have sold it for almost 2 million dollars in an area where average prices for the same kind of property were around 500

        • aboogee on 01/01/2021 - 22:13

          oh… interesting as you'd think the telco would just pay the 500k (would be cheaper previously when they entered into the deal) which would payback within 7yrs

      • spaceflight on 02/01/2021 - 17:07
        +2

        for the telco to be willing to pay 70k rental suggests that it made sense for telco to rent for 70k per annum rather than to buy the property outright?
        am i missing something here?

        Yes you are.
        Telcos are not in the business of owning land and don't want to maintain acres of land for every tower, they just want a maintained patch of land for their tower to sit on.

        Owning the land also ties up capital (money)

        If they owned the land they would need to pay someone to maintain it, plus pay all the fees associated with owning the land (rates etc).

        It's the same reason companies lease company cars for their employees rather than buy them.

        There are also tax benifits for leasing the land (operational cost) versus buying it (capital cost)

        It is also why companies like Crown Castle exist
        https://www.crowncastle.com/infrastructure-solutions/towers

        In Australia it is Axicom
        https://www.axicom.com.au/about/history/

        And why telcos sell their assets to these companies
        https://www.optus.com.au/about/media-centre/media-releases/2…

  • doogiechap on 31/12/2020 - 22:25
    +2

    We live about 200m from HV lines (330KVA). I feel we were able to afford a nicer house for the price due to the proximity. I know this will be the same when we sell but for our planned next 20 years here, we will enjoy this home thoroughly. No noise issues at home at all. When I walk my dog near them on damp days I can hear them but never from our house. Our layout masks them from the majority of our view when outside, if they were in full view I may have reconsidered purchasing (even though I love Darryl Kerrigans "Man's Inguinity" quote).
    Great that you did the night time listen, take another walk through the back yard, can you see them? Is that important to you? If no, enjoy your new home!!

    • moomilky on 31/12/2020 - 22:36
      +2

      That's reassuring! They honestly didn't even cross my mind until I did a drive by with my dad and he wigged out a bit.

      The sight of them is such a non issue for me that I don't even remember if you can see them from the backyard.
      I'm feeling a lot more ok with proceeding now.

      enjoy your new home!!

      Thanks!

      • greatlamp on 01/01/2021 - 07:58
        +1

        Also consider what is the building you are buying?

        If you are planning on dropping 500k to build a new home on that land, it could be a terrible financial decision if you can never get any of that value back.

  • aboogee on 31/12/2020 - 22:57
    +3

    ex transmission line designer here
    i guess the design standards ensure that at that distance you're EM exposure would be pretty negligible
    think it comes back to the point where its cheap now, but it will be cheap in the future too
    i personally wouldnt want to live near any towers, be it comms or electricity

  • Top G on 31/12/2020 - 23:51

    It may be cheaper to buy initially but also you will sell less later on. Compared to equivalent non power line exposed property.

    It all depends how close you are as well. Right next door vs 200m away and no sightline are very different.

  • Dr Techno on 01/01/2021 - 00:50

    10 years ago I saw a new 2 story townhouse that was directly below high tension powerlines at the mid point between towers where the transmission line sags the most. I was thinking how did that property get approved.

  • PerthSV on 01/01/2021 - 02:33

    30 years ago I was in exactly the same position as you. Nice house, big block, cheap price, very tempting. I didn't buy it in the end even though I did all the research on hazards, health, etc.
    Why? If I was so reluctant to buy a lovely house that was going cheap and there were many other people in the same boat then I had to consider that in 10 or 20 years time I'll have to sell an older house, cheaply to make it attractive to sceptical buyers and expect the house to be on the market longer than a normal house until a gullible buyer happens to come along.
    Just not worth the risk…

  • Drakesy on 01/01/2021 - 05:07

    Buy it and regret later. The cancer argument is still up in the air.
    Honestly if you don't get caught up in the conspiracy you'll be fine.

  • The-Kremlin on 01/01/2021 - 06:36

    If you care about your future property value then don't do it…cheap now, cheap later.

  • harrywwc on 01/01/2021 - 07:13

    almost certainly not a problem nowa days with digital TV, but back when I was a kid, we had the 'medium-tension' (11kV or 33kV - can't remember now) run down the street, and would cause interference lines in the tv. No amount of filtering (such as it was in the 70s) could suppress it.

    As I said, with the demise of analogue TV that is gone - now we just deal with pixelation when the weather is bad between us and the tx tower :/

  • funnysht on 01/01/2021 - 08:18

    Perhaps but think abt the resale value

  • Freitag on 01/01/2021 - 08:27

    I have three 132kva power lines running over my back yard with three large timber poles behind my property. It’s a 1000m2 block, there is an easement under the lines so I can’t build on that half of the block.
    Been here for 7 years, no issues. I think people worrying about health concerns is similar to people worrying about 5G causing cancer, there have been tests and there isn’t sufficient evidence of it in this situation.
    I’ve had a mortgage with 3 different lenders, none of which cared, but state custodians didn’t want to lend to me back in 2013.
    Everyone likes electricity, everyone is exposed to low level electrical radiation, it’s just the eyesore they don’t like which is fair enough, I know this decreases the value of my house.

    If you’re concerned you could pay to get a reading of the actual radiation in your property, then you would have some hard data and can be precise and objective in your decision.

    For me it’s just the looks, but I don’t even really notice it generally. Timber poles don’t look as bad as a metal frame pylon.

    • khomeini on 03/01/2021 - 19:10

      So just out of interest, do you get an annual amount from the electricity corp for rental of the pylons/towers?

  • ozbargainer88 on 01/01/2021 - 08:39
    +2

    They will remind you of man's ability to generate electricity

  • snirodha on 01/01/2021 - 09:37

    You will have potential buyers asking for the same question when you eventually sell up the property. Something to think about.

  • AJW on 01/01/2021 - 10:20
    +1

    Why aren't you interested in the cancer risks? Is it because you don't believe the scientific studies?
    I'm not asking to get downvoted or upvoted by the believers or the naysayers…just curious.
    Sweden has done studies relating to this, and found within 300m for the 220 and 400Volt lines:
    By comparing data on exposure with statistics from the national cancer registry, they calculated that children younger than 15 years were 2.7 times as likely to contract leukaemia if they were exposed to average magnetic fluxes of more than 0.2 microteslas. The relative risk rose to 3.8 for children exposed to an average of 0.3 microteslas. This is the first demonstration of a relationship between the dose of radiation and the risk of cancer.

    Read more: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg13618450-300-swedish-…

    • moomilky on 01/01/2021 - 12:10
      +1

      Oh, it's not that I don't believe the studies - I do.

      The house is located far enough away that it's not likely to have readings higher than 0.1 microteslas, if even - if it did, it wouldn't likely be much higher.

      The studies that show an inkling of linkage are related to children and leukaemia. I don't have children and don't intend to, so it doesn't really bother me. I've asked my friends with young children if they would be comfortable visiting and they've said yes, so I feel comfortable in that regard. I don't tend to have people over more than a couple of times a year anyway.

      If I happened to fall pregnant, I'd be comfortable renting the house out and living elsewhere. I've thoroughly looked at the financial aspect of the area, of other houses that are even closer to the towers and am confident in both its ability to resell with capital growth and to be let out at a reasonable rate.

      • AJW on 01/01/2021 - 14:17
        +1

        Thanks for answering, and it explains your stance well.
        I think I would have similar thoughts to you - our first house was out in a cheaper but dodgy outer suburb, and once the kids needed schools and we could afford to we moved.

    • pangwen on 02/01/2021 - 12:22
      +1

      Just to clarify - the article is talking about living near 220 and 400 kilovolt lines, not volts. Otherwise we're all in the same boat with the household power being 230-240V nominally (IIRC, I've seen 220-250 mentioned, but wiki tells me 230-240).

      • AJW on 03/01/2021 - 12:13

        Sorry, yes you are right, they are kilovolt lines, not our standard power lines :)

  • khomeini on 01/01/2021 - 10:51
    +2

    Okay so my dad was vehemently against any property purchases with powerlines. I'm against it for aesthetic purposes (they look ugly in my eyes).

    We currently live near them, the closest lines are about 240m away… with the metal frames being between 300+ to 500+m away. I'm okay with that except for the fact we have a room which is mostly glass and it looks out onto these rolling hills but with these ugly towers dotted there - wish they could make them underground.

    Watch this short video which I saw in Selling Houses Australia for a seller who tried selling his house with a powerline in his frontyard. It puts in perspective how much radiation a tower actually emits and whether it is safe or not.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bv-pIuYib9c

    Good luck with your purchase.

    • Lichen6420 on 01/01/2021 - 17:16

      The newer tubular steel towers are much easier on the eye… I agree the older scaffold style towers are a bit unsightly.

  • tik tok on 01/01/2021 - 11:12
    -2

    Try rubbing someone's skin while under a power line.

  • This Guy on 01/01/2021 - 12:33

    HV lines should cause no issues.

    Avoid living or working near sub stations. As you can probably work out from that video, being upwind of one is a bad idea too, but that is far harder to work out.

    • Ragnarok1983 on 02/01/2021 - 15:04

      Some of the older transformers may still have PCBs in the oil nasty carcinogen, but it is the exception to the norm since most PCBs have been phased out.

      • This Guy on 03/01/2021 - 14:09

        Yes. The video I shared had arcing, so the fumes would include heated sulfur hexafluoride, vapourised steel, plastics and paint, partially burnt oil particulate matter, as well as the usual nasties released in an industrial fire. Electrical fire suppression systems displace air and are not conducive with life in high concentrations.

        Like any industrial fire you do not want to be up wind or near the fire without proper respiratory protection.

  • Analytical Therapist on 01/01/2021 - 12:38
    +1

    I live 200m from 132kv transmission lines, as most posters have stated you will get humming on hot days and it will be louder with higher humidity or rain (i actually find the sound calming, but i might just be special haha) you will need to have at least a 20% deposit to avoid LMI as no LMI will go near you.

  • yilly on 01/01/2021 - 13:18

    I'm a builder who builds and sells.

    Currently have two blocks side by side right across the power lines. I took it into consideration, however, the sale price of the land was subject to powerlines, hence why i purchased it 30k cheaper than the blocks behind me. It's ok, i'll just sell it for 30k cheaper and still make the same margin. Time will tell in April when one of them are up for sale. I have no rush selling them so I'll wait till the best offer arrives.

    • Dr Cheapo on 03/01/2021 - 15:17

      Interested to see how you go mate

  • akyeeeahdude on 01/01/2021 - 13:44

    This article seems interesting especially the links to peer reviewed articles https://en.geovital.com/how-close-is-too-close-when-living-n…

  • Queen Muffin on 01/01/2021 - 14:24
    +4

    I personally will not buy any properties that is right under power lines. My concerns are
    1) health issue - I notice people comments saying they been living under powerlines for number of years and no issue. Well, things like cancer take years to develop. You might think you been living there for 10 years you have no health issues. I would rather take this risk out of my mind. Same as those people who bought houses that are built on contaminated land. You don't want to regret later when you find you or your kids have cancer and then have to go on legal battle with the government
    seeking compensation.

    2) high pitch buzzing noises - I sometimes walk pass these open power lines and can hear very annoying high pitch noise.Apparently they are called "corona discharge. Corona discharge is an electrical discharge that occurs when a fluid (like air) surrounding an electrically-charged conductor becomes ionized"

    3) risk of fire/explosion - if so lucky there is a thunder strike on these power lines or fire nearby spread to these power lines

    4) re-sale value - there are always people who have concern of living near power lines or cancer risk like me

    5) visual impact - I personally do not want to open the window and looking at these powerlines

    6) Level of risk - like asbestos, it was ok decades ago when people think it is a safe material, you never know down the track if there might be proof that that these power lines have some sort of connection to cancer or other illeness.

    If you are ok to these risks, then it is your choice to make the purchase.

  • The-Kremlin on 01/01/2021 - 14:58
    +1

    Perception equals reality. Even if all the data and facts say there is no harm in them, most of the general public think otherwise and/or most of the general public don't want to be near them.

    Buy elsewhere if you can afford to, otherwise you'll pay in the long run with your pocket, no one wants to live near them, just like people don't want to live on a main road…the property value is cheaper for a reason.

  • greencomet on 01/01/2021 - 15:38

    I think living 200m from them probably won't be much of an issue, I still wouldn't be interested in doing so though, they're ugly, noisy and cause health issues. My in-laws live in a street next to high voltage lines, they've lived there for years and have had no issues with them. Their neighbours on the other side of the road (whose houses back onto the grass area where the lines are) however have had a bunch of health issues. Residents in something like 8 out of the 12 or so houses on the other side of the road have had multiple cancer issues, one got a brain tumor, etc. Could just be a coincidence, but no chance I'd be living near them.

  • deeevan on 01/01/2021 - 16:24

    For all the concerns about resale value, is this valid? Given the lower purchase price, a lower sale price relative to the area is expected, but is there an impact on growth rate? If so, these properties would be getting cheaper and cheaper.
    There is the risk in a buyer's market, yours will be at the bottom of the list to choose from.

    • jace88 on 01/01/2021 - 18:45

      A rising tide lifts all boats (assuming not a buyers market)

  • kool on 01/01/2021 - 16:31
    +1

    During a storm a few years ago in SA, a few towers were knocked out. It also caused blackout in SA with multiple transmission line faults. The reason being not all towers can support by its footing, they are supported by the line tension. So a fall of one tower can cascade. May be a rare incident but just one more concern during big storms.

  • Baghern on 01/01/2021 - 16:38
    -3

    When I was young(primary school) I lived in a suburb that had transmission lines run through it for 5-6years. I was the same height as my peers.

    We eventually moved away.

    Whenever I meet people who came from that suburb, I noticed they were all much shorter than me and my siblings who all got taller.

    It became really stark during inter-school competitions… 1000s of kids, all the kids from that suburb were noticeably shorter than the other schools

    Just an observational experience, because we moved 3 times after that, no other place had transmission lines run through them

  • footyboy on 01/01/2021 - 18:49

    Mortgage broker here - lenders will be concerned around power lines if within 50m of your property border.

    If LMI there may be particular issues, LMI companies don't like properties near powerlines. Often case by case but I have seen loans declined for this.

    Pro tip - use Google Maps, there's a tool in there that let's you measure the distance between two points, as the crow flies.

    • moomilky on 01/01/2021 - 19:10
      +1

      Thanks! I'd already used the mapping tools on land.vic.gov.au to find that it was 250m from them. Didn't realise Google Maps had a tool too

  • [Deactivated] on 01/01/2021 - 22:26
    +2

    I live near pylons and while they are ugly that's the only issue. Can hear a little Corona in the back yard if you stop moving and concentrate, no way you could hear it inside.

    Never had a lender give a rat's and it would be illogical. The price due to the ugliness of the pylons and the people who are irrationally scared of them is already built in. Can't think of a good reason why it should make any difference to them so I call bs.

    And as for the science - the /r² (where r is distance) in the emf equation is your friend. Besides I haven't seen any animal studies proving any issue. Blind statistical correlations are stupid because the aforementioned price penalty for being near pylons means you have socioeconomic factors to correct, as well as the fact people who choose to live near pylons may be statistically less careful with what they eat/drink.

  • coolsteps on 02/01/2021 - 11:53
    +1

    IMO, ref EMF and electromagnetic pulse (EMP) , its not worth the risk to your family if you get a lighting strike or fault nearby.

  • Kontiki on 02/01/2021 - 14:22

    200 meters sounds absolutely fine. I grew up in Europe and even newly built suburbs were right next to power lines, maybe 50 meters away. EU regulations are really strict on anything to do with health, so we are not talking about slums.

    It's the public perception you have to worry about, like with 5G. Also I wouldn't be too happy having young kids running around the base.

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