Victorian Statutory Revaluation

Valuer-General Victoria and Municipal Group of Valuers

Guidelines on Valuation Methodology for
Telecommunications
Introduction
These guidelines are to be used when valuing telecommunications for rating and taxation
purposes.
The guidelines need to be used in conjunction with the General Provisions for Specialist
Guidelines, which refer to the general requirements, legislation and procedures relating to
all statutory valuations.

Definition

The following definition of a Telecommunications network is contained in Section 7 of the

Telecommunications Act 1997
"telecommunications network" means a system, or series of systems, that carries, or is
capable of carrying, communications by means of guided and/or unguided electromagnetic
energy.
An acceptable classification for Telecommunication Towers and Aerials is contained
in the Australian Valuation Property Classification Codes (AVPCC).
Land on which a tower and associated infrastructure used for the transmission or
telecommunication signals are constructed or aerials affixed to buildings (without a
footprint) and which form part of a larger property..

A definition for a Telecommunications Facility is Victorian Planning Scheme Provisions1 as

follows
Land used to accommodate any part of the infrastructure of a Telecommunications
network. It includes any telecommunications line, equipment, apparatus,
telecommunications tower, mast, antenna, tunnel, duct, hole, pit, pole, or other structure
or thing used, or for use in or in connection with a Telecommunications network.
For the purpose of planning, telecommunications are classified as either High Impact or
Low Impact Facilities.
1. High Impact Facilities Towers/pole that require a Planning Permit
Towers Man-made structures that are always taller than they are wide, usually by
a significant margin, generally built to take advantage of their height and can
stand alone or as part of a larger structure. In the context of telecommunications a
tower requires a planning permit to be erected and is usually either a HUB or a
BTU.
Mobile phone towers are generally 25 to 30 metres high.
A HUB is a larger tower in excess of 50 metres.
A BTU is a smaller tower in the range of 25 to 30 metres.

1 Victorian Planning Provisions Clause 74 land Use Terms

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2. Low Impact Facilities Maximum Height 6.5 metres that do not require Planning
Approval.
Low-impact facilities are generally small radio communications antennae and
dishes erected on existing towers or buildings that are designed to be unobtrusive.
Other types of low-impact facility include underground cables, public telephones,
telecommunications pits in footpaths and co-located facilities. The maximum
height of a low-impact facility is 6.5 metres, but only when sited in a rural or
industrial zone.
There are two general categories for the valuation of telecommunication facilities:
1.
Micro Small Aerials
Aerials can be located on the side of a pole or attached to or on top of buildings. The
following are examples of Micro sites

2.

Macro also known as CMTS Cellular Mobile Telecommunications Site. Macro

sites are towers and rooftop antennas.
This category also includes HUBs large towers in excess of 50 metres with multiple
microwave dishes. The following are examples of Macro sites:

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Other definitions and industry terms

Towers three types of Communication Towers

Guyed Tower a single column steel structure supported by several guyed

wires. These towers require a relatively large land area to accommodate the
guy wires. Guyed towers tend to be taller than lattice or monopole towers.

Lattice Tower a multiple column structure that is reinforced by crossbeams. A

lattice tower is frequently less than 75 metres tall.

Monopole a single-pole tower which is usually shorter than the guyed or the
lattice towers. Monopoles occupy less space then the other towers and are
frequently well suited for large metropolitan areas.

Telecommunication Systems
A telecommunication system consists of three basic elements:

a transmitter that takes information and converts it to a signal

a transmission medium that carries the signal, and
a receiver that receives the signal and converts it back into usable information.

For example, in a radio broadcast the broadcast tower is the transmitter, free space is
the transmission medium and the radio is the receiver. Often telecommunication
systems are two-way with a single device acting as both a transmitter and receiver or
transceiver. For example, a mobile phone is a transceiver.
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Telecommunication over a phone line is called point to point communication because

it is between one transmitter and one receiver. Telecommunication through radio
broadcasts is called broadcast communication because it is between one powerful
transmitter and numerous receivers.

DAS Distributed Antenna Systems

DAS uses a hub and spoke architecture to connect base station equipment to a fibrefed network. The network consists of small Radio Access Nodes (RANs) or microcells,
each with a multi-band antenna, which can be distributed via existing infrastructure.
These types of antenna are usually located within buildings.

Microwave transmission
Microwave Transmission refers to the technique of transmitting information over a
microwave link. Since microwaves are highly susceptible to attenuation by the
atmosphere (especially during wet weather), the use of microwave transmission is
limited to a few contexts

it is only suitable over line of sight transmission links

provides good bandwidth
affected by rain, vapor, dust, snow, cloud, mist and fog, heavy moisture
not suitable for links where an obstacle is in between the transmitter and
receiver.

Analogue or Digital
Signals can be either analogue or digital. In an analogue signal, the signal is varied
continuously with respect to the information. In a digital signal, the information is
encoded as a set of discrete values (for example ones and zeros). During
transmission the information contained in analogue signals will be degraded by noise.
Conversely, unless the noise exceeds a certain threshold, the information contained in
digital signals will remain intact. This noise resistance represents a key advantage of
digital signals over analogue signals.

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Networks
A collection of transmitters, receivers or transceivers that communicate with each
other is known as a network. Digital networks may consist of one or more routers that
route information to the correct user. An analogue network may consist of one or more
switches that establish a connection between two or more users. For both types of
network, repeaters may be necessary to amplify or recreate the signal when it is
being transmitted over long distances. This is to combat attenuation that can render
the signal indistinguishable from noise.

Channel
A channel is a division in a transmission medium so that it can be used to send
multiple streams of information. For example, a radio station may broadcast at 96.1
MHz while another radio station may broadcast at 94.5 MHz. In this case, the medium
has been divided by frequency and each channel has received a separate frequency
to broadcast on. Alternatively, one could allocate each channel a recurring segment of
time over which to broadcast this is known as time-division multiplexing and is
sometimes used in digital communication.

Modulation
The shaping of a signal to convey information is known as modulation. Modulation can
be used to represent a digital message as an analogue waveform. This is known as
keying and several keying techniques exist (these include phase-shift keying,
frequency-shift keying and amplitude-shift keying). Bluetooth, for example, uses
phase-shift keying to exchange information between devices.

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Additional Victorian legislation and cases applicable to
telecommunications
The following Acts are relevant to this topic:

Local Government Act 1989 (Sections 154 and 156)

Telecommunications Act 1997 (Commonwealth)
Electricity Industry Act 2000 (Section 94)
Planning and Environment Act 1987

Court cases:
The following court case is applicable to the telecommunications industry.

United Energy Limited v Monash CC (Land Valuation) [2005] VCAT 2721

Section 22 Valuation of Land Act 1960 referral of objection to site value, capital
improved value and net annual value consideration of planning controls
Other relevant material:

Telecommunication Code of Practice 1997

Telecommunication (Low Impact Facility) Determination 1997

Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is the government body
responsible for the regulation of broadcasting, the Internet, radio communications and
telecommunications.
ACMA also administers the technical standards compliance regime for
electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), radio communications, electromagnetic
radiation (EMR) and telecommunications. It also supports a full range of radio
communications services through radio communications licensing.
The ACMA website is www.acma.gov.au .
Relevant codes under this website are:

Deployment of Mobile Phone Network Infrastructure

Placement of Mobile Phone Towers

The Mobile Phone Network Infrastructure Code and Local Government.

A register of radio communication licences can be found at

http://web.acma.gov.au/pls/radcom/register_search.main_page

Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy

(DBCDE)
The DBCDE website is www.dbcde.gov.au. It contains information about:

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Communications and Technology Resources and news about telephone, Internet,
broadband and ICT services for consumers and business. Also covers funding, policy,
legislation, statistics, reviews, online security and contacts for industry bodies.

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Media and Broadcasting Policy and legislation regulating radio and television
broadcasting and Internet services, including research, guidelines and reviews.
Post Policies and regulations for the postal industry and information about the
history and administration of Australia Post.

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Identification of properties
Australian Valuation Property Classification Codes (AVPCC)
To appropriately categorise telecommunication in a municipality, refer to the Australian
Valuation Property Classification Codes (AVPCC) available at www.dse.vic.gov.au/valuation.
The following codes apply to telecommunications:
Telecommunication Towers and Aerials (AVPCC 694)

Unspecified 694.1

Telecommunication Tower 694.2

Telecommunication Aerial 694.3

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Rental questionnaire and property information specific requirements

applicable to telecommunications
In addition to the general requirements for rental information, the following is a guide to
the specific information required for telecommunications.
Property Data
1.

Address/Unit number

2.

Tower/pole height

3.

Total number of carriers

4.

Plans/maps

5.

Pole ID Number

metres (approximately)

Land lease details

Lease details
Commencement date
Lease term
Rent review method
Date of last rent review
Ground rent per annum
Rent type
Outgoings amount per annum paid
by tenant
Outgoings amount per annum paid
by owner

Carrier #

Carrier #

Carrier #

Carrier #

Net
Gross

Net
Gross

$
Net
Gross

Net
Gross

Carrier #

Carrier #

Carrier #

Carrier #

Occupancy Lease Particulars

Lease details
Commencement date
Lease term
Rent review method
Date of last rent review
Rent per annum
Rent type
Outgoings amount per annum paid
by tenant
Outgoings amount per annum paid
by owner

$
Net
Gross

$
Net
Gross

$
Net
Gross

Net
Gross

Estimated cost of construction

Year of construction

Other details considered relevant

Please include all other details (in addition to the above) that you believe may affect the statutory values of
the property(s).

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Property inspection specific requirements applicable to
telecommunications
1.

Inspect telecommunication facility and the number of carriers in the case of a

tower/pole.

2.

The Internet is a valuable resource including sites such as the Radio Frequency
National Site Archive - www.rfnsa.com.au. This site will enable searches on
telecommunications facilities by district and postcode.

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Methodology
Site value and capital improved value
SV methodology
The primary approach used is capitalisation of ground rent. A Ground Rent is a rent
per annum for the use of the land to construct a tower. The primary evidence to use
is lettings and sales of comparable properties analysed to indicate appropriate
market rentals and capitalisation rates.
CIV methodology
The primary approach to Capital Improved Value is a summation approach. The
added of the improvements including plant and equipment is added to the Site Value
to derive the CIV.
A capitalisation of income approach may be adopted where a telecommunications
facility is in a multi tenanted building, or in addition to the ground leases there are
multiple licences that attached to the pole.
If a telecommunications facility occupies a portion of a parcel it is considered to be a
separate occupancy and should be valued accordingly. If the telecommunications
facility is occupied by more than one carrier or is on a rooftop, then the site value
and capital improved value attributed to the tower may have to be apportioned in
accordance with Section 2 (3) of the Valuation of Land Act. Refer to Occupancy in
the General Provision.
Sales Analysis
When analysing sales the valuer should derive the value of the different components
of the property by ascertaining the added value of any improvements including plant
and equipment. Refer specialist guideline paper on plant and equipment.
The sale should be fully analysed on the basis of market rentals. In most cases,
however, limited lease details are disclosed and an analysed passing yield may be
the best indicator. The check method by summation can be derived by ascertaining
the CIV by direct comparison the deducting the added value of the tower to arrive at
a site value.
Valuation considerations

the CIV should have regard to plant and equipment; Refer to specialist
guideline paper on plant and equipment.
in determining the added value for plant and equipment (i.e. pole and shed
etc.) a depreciated replacement cost can be utilised. Refer also to sales
analysis break up of components if available.
in the event that passing ground rents are provided and there are no other
current market rents to suggest otherwise, the passing rents can be a
guide.
the EAV must be a minimum of 5 per cent of the CIV.

The methodology shown in the following examples can apply to residential, rural,
commercial or industrial land.

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The information in the following examples is not indicative of any market

information, the income, rents and rates are for example purposes only.
Example A One Carrier on a Monopole
Site Value
Ground Rent

$7,500 pa

Net Rent
Cap Rate
Total SV

$7,500 pa
15%
$50,000

Capital Improved Value

Carrier A -

$10,000 pa

Total Gross Rent

Less Outgoings
Net Rent
Council Rates
EAV

$10,000 pa
$1,000 pa
$9,000 pa
$500 pa
$9,500pa

CIV by Summation
Site Value
Pole
Shed
CIV*
Assessment
Carrier A

SV
$ 50,000

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$ 50,000
$ 80,000
$ 20,000
$150,000
CIV
$ 150,000

NAV
$ 9,500

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Example B Three Carriers on a Monopole

Site Value
Ground Rent - Net
Carrier A
Carrier B
Carrier C
Total Net Rent
Cap Rate
Total SV
Adopt SV

$9,000
$10,000
$10,800
$29,800 pa
15%
$198,666
$200,000

Carrier A Gross Rent

Less Outgoings
Net Rent
Council Rates
EAV

$10,000
$1,000
$9,000
$500
$9,500

Carrier B Gross Rent

Less Outgoings
Net Rent
Council Rates
EAV

$11,000
$1,000
$10,000
$500
$10,500

Carrier C Gross Rent

Less Outgoings
Net Rent
Council Rates
EAV

$12,000
$1,200
$10,800
$700
$11,500

EAV Whole
CIV by Summation
Site Value
Pole
Shed (allow 3 sheds)
CIV
Apportionment on EAV
Assessment
Carrier A
Carrier B
Carrier C

$31,500
$ 200,000
$ 90,000
$ 55,000
$345,000

SV
$ 60,000
$ 67,000
$ 73,000

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CIV
$ 104,000
$ 115,000
$ 126,000

NAV
$9,500
$10,500
$11,500

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Example C Rooftop Antenna on existing building with a shop on the
ground floor, office on the second floor and antenna on rooftop.
Site Value
Based on zoning and usual
land considerations

$250,000

Capital Improved Value

Shop Gross Rent
Less Outgoings
Net Rent
Council Rates
EAV

$30,000
$2,500
$27,500
$1,500
$29,000

Office Gross Rent

Less Outgoings
Net Rent
Council Rates
EAV

$20,000
$1,500
$18,500
$1,000
$19,500

Telco Gross Rent

Less Outgoings
Net Rent
Council Rates
EAV

$15,000
$1,000
$14,000
$500
$14,500

EAV Whole
CIV
Total Gross Rent
Less Total Outgoings
Total Net Rent
Cap Rate
CIV Rounded

$63,000
$65,000
$5,000
$60,000
6%
$1,000,000

Apportionment on EAV
CIV - Shop
CIV - Office
CIV - Telco

$ 460,000
$ 310,000
$ 230,000

SV - Shop
SV - Office
SV - Telco

$ 115,000
$ 77,000
$ 58,000

Assessment
Shop
Office
Telco

SV
$ 115,000
$ 77,000
$ 58,000

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CIV
$ 460,000
$ 310,000
$ 230,000

NAV
$29,000
$19,500
$14,500

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Industry information
Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman The Telecommunications Industry
Ombudsman is a free and independent alternative dispute resolution scheme for small
business and residential consumers in Australia with unresolved complaints about their
telephone or internet services. Website: www.tio.com.au
Communications Alliance The aim of the Communications Alliance is to promote the
growth of the Australian communications industry and to protect consumer interests
through industry self-governance. Website: www.commsalliance.com.au
A Code of Practice for Telecommunications Facilities in Victoria July 2004
Below is an extract from the Code of Practice, issued by the Victorian Department of
Planning and Community Development (DPCD), setting out the circumstances and
requirements under which land may be developed for a telecommunications facility. The
full version of the code of practice is available on the DPCD website
www.dpcd.vic.gov.au

Telecommunication facilities that may be developed without the need for a planning
permit:

a microcell - an antenna and associated box which supplements the mobile

network in heavy usage areas.
an above ground housing - an above ground equipment shelter housing
telecommunication infrastructure including:
a pillar
a cabinet
a pedestal
an elevated joint
minor street furnishings
marker posts
a remote integrated multiplexer.
a temporary facility - a telecommunications facility that does not exist on the
land for more than a total of four months in any 12 month period.
an underground cable or duct is placed into the ground by trenching or direct
burial. Once in the ground, the ground is reinstated and the cable cannot be seen.
a boring cable is a process where new cable is run through ducts which already
exist, or is bored predominately underground from one end point to another.
a radio communications dish is a circular dish antenna used to send and
receive radio frequency communications.
a tower includes any similar structure supporting antennas.
a telecommunication facility located inside a building, structure or tunnel
which is included in or integrated in such a way as to have the appearance of being
part of the building, structure or tunnel.
a telecommunication facility located on a roof using rooftops of appropriate
height avoids the need for a tower or similar structure to be built. A facility on the
roof of a building is generally less intrusive than a new tower and is therefore
encouraged as a design solution to minimise visual impact.
a telecommunications facility attached to infrastructure within a road zone
carriers are encouraged to use existing infrastructure along major highways,
arterial roads and freeways to support telecommunications facilities providing
coverage along these roads to avoid the need for additional structures.
an optical fibre ground wire on high voltage transmission towers an
electricity ground wire with an optical fibre core located in the ground wire position
of high voltage electricity towers.

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Carriers are encouraged to co-locate facilities wherever practical. This provision
encourages colocation where an existing structure has the capacity to cope with the
additional requirements and combined equipment of more than one carrier or the
combined equipment of carrier(s) and the operation of radio communications network
such as two way radio operators and community radio stations.

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Installation of Telecommunications Facilities A Guide for Local
Government
Below is an extract from the telecommunications section of the Australian
Communications and Media Authority website, www.acma.gov.au
The Australian Government is responsible for regulating telecommunications matters.
Telecommunications facilities specified in the Telecommunications Act 1997, or in a
ministerial determination made under the Act, are exempt from local planning laws and
can be installed with authorisation under Commonwealth law. The types of facilities
covered by the Act and the determination include smaller radio communications
antennas and dishes, and underground cabling.
Telecommunications facilities that are not covered by the Telecommunications Act or a
determination are likely to require approval under state or territory law, usually at the
local government level. The types of facilities that require local council planning approval
include broadband overhead cable and all freestanding mobile phone towers.
Accordingly, telecommunications facilities are governed by legislation at the local, state
and federal government levels, depending on the type of facility and the zoning of the
site.
Low-Impact Facilities
Licensed telecommunications carriers are authorised by the Telecommunications Act to
install a limited range of facilities without seeking state, territory or local government
planning approval. The most common of these are known as 'low-impact' facilities which
are specified in the Telecommunications (Low-impact Facilities) Determination 1997 and
its amendment of 1999.
Low-impact facilities are generally small radio communications antennae and dishes
erected on existing towers or buildings that are designed to be unobtrusive. Other types
of low-impact facility include underground cables, public telephones, telecommunications
pits in footpaths and co-located facilities. The maximum height of a low-impact facility is
6.5 metres, but only when sited in a rural or industrial zone and the facility must have an
omnidirectional antenna or an array of these. One commonly installed low-impact facility
is 5.8 metres high. By contrast, mobile phone towers are generally 25 to 30 metres high.
The Low-impact Facilities Determination defines where these facilities may be installed
based on zoning considerations. For example, a facility that is deemed low-impact in a
rural or industrial zone may not be low-impact if it is installed in a residential area. A
facility in an area of environmental significance, such as a World Heritage area or an area
on the Register of the National Estate, cannot be designated a low-impact facility.
In some cases, the colour of a low-impact facility is required to be matched to its
background, or in a colour agreed by the carrier and the local authority. See the table
following for what is designated a 'low-impact' facility.

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Facility
Panel, yagi or
other like
antenna

Array of
antenna

Notes*

Residential

Commercial

Industrial

Low impact

Low impact

Low impact Low

impact

Not low
impact

Not low
impact

Low impact Low

impact

Low impact

Low impact

Low impact Low

impact

Not low
impact

Not low
impact

Low impact Low

impact

Low impact

Low impact

Low impact Low

impact

Trench, direct Low impact

burial, bore or
directional drill hole

Low impact

Low impact Low

impact

2.8m long
with
3m mounting arm

colour
matched or agreed

4.5m long
with
2m mounting arm
omnidirectional only

Radio

communications
dish

Extension to
tower

Rural

5m apart
1.2m
diameter with 2m
protrusion

attached to
supporting structure

colourmatched or agreed

5m

max. of one
extension

Underground
housing

Pit surface
2 sqm OR

Manhole
surface area 2 sqm
OR

Underground
equip shelter/housing
surface area 2 sqm

Underground
cabling

New trench,
bore or directional drill
hole subject to
dimensional and access
to property
requirements

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Facility

Public pay
phones

Notes*

May utilise
pre-existing trench

Solely for
carriage and content
services

Residential

Commercial

Industrial

Rural

Low impact

Low impact

Low impact Low

impact

*This is a guide only. Please refer to the Telecommunications/Low impact facilities/Determination 1997
regarding compliance.

Exemption from state and territory planning laws

A carrier who complies with the Telecommunications Act when installing a low-impact
facility is immune from some state and territory laws, including town planning, use of
land, tenancy and commercial and domestic power supply laws.
The Act also offers immunity from environmental assessment and protection laws, with
the exception of laws pertaining to the protection of places or items of significance to the
cultural heritage of Aboriginal persons or Torres Strait Islanders, for installation or
maintenance of facilities.
What rights do carriers have?

Under the Telecommunications Act, carriers have the following rights:

Right to inspect land

Carriers may enter onto and inspect any land, and do anything on the land, that is
necessary or desirable for the purpose of determining whether the land is suitable
for their purposes.

Right to install low-impact facilities

Carriers have the right to install a low-impact facility.

Right to maintain telecommunications facilities

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Carriers have the right to maintain a telecommunications facility and may do
anything necessary for the purpose of maintaining a facility including an
alteration, removal or repair of a facility.

What are carriers' responsibilities?

The Telecommunications Code of Practice 1997 (amended in 2002) sets out in detail
carriers' rights and responsibilities when inspecting land; installing low-impact facilities,
subscriber connections and temporary defence facilities; and maintaining facilities.
The Code of Practice requires that, when undertaking these activities, carriers must take
all reasonable steps to:

cause as little detriment, damage and inconvenience as practicable;

ensure that land is restored to a condition similar to its condition before the
activity began;
protect the environment;
minimise interference with public utilities, roads and paths, traffic and land use;
act in accordance with good engineering practice and ensure that the design,
planning and installation of the facilities is in accordance with best practice and
complies with ACMA or industry codes or standards;
protect the safety of persons and property;
co-locate facilities with the existing facilities of other carriers or public utilities or
use public easements; and
co-operate with other carriers and public utilities who are undertaking similar
activities on the same land to minimise inconvenience and damage.
How many radio communications facilities are within a council boundary?

All radio communications facilities including mobile phone antennas must be licensed
by ACMA. ACMA maintains a Register of Radio Communications Licenses, which lists
operational facilities. If a facility is currently being installed then it is unlikely to appear
on the register. Most carriers forward their registrations to ACMA in batches at regular
intervals, which means that the register may not list all radio communications facilities
current at any particular time. For large searches, it may be easier to purchase the
register database on CD-ROM.
The MCF maintains an electronic Radio Frequency National Site Archive www.rfnsa.com.au - which lists new mobile base station facilities built or upgraded
since April 2003.

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