NEWS DESK
Residents clamour for freeway quiet Stephen Taylor steve@mpnews.com.au
MP calls out for sound barriers
A SAFETY Beach and Dromana residents’ group is ramping up its campaign for quieter freeways following a meeting of 120 residents, Thursday 16 June. Tyred of Noise on the Mornington Peninsula Freeway group’s Wayne Ashley said the meeting “went really well given the cold weather”. “Nepean MP Martin Dixon spoke well and encouraged residents to contact him, VicRoads, the Roads Minister and Mornington Peninsula Shire about the noise,” he said. “I have a petition signed by most of the people at the meeting.” Mr Ashley said VicRoads had declined to attend “but they have signalled a clear intention to meet with concerned residents to discuss noise testing and options to abate the noise”. He said VicRoads had agreed to set up noise reading stations along the route to monitor noise all day and night over one week. “This is a welcome approach as this promise of action on noise from traffic has been going on since 2001 – well before the Mornington Peninsula Freeway’s linking to Peninsula Link [in 2011] and increased traffic.” Mr Ashley said the freeway was not designed to carry “the massive amount of traffic” it does now. “There has been an increase in traffic movement and noise levels starting as early as 5am and not stopping until well into the night,” he said. “It has become a noise and visual hazard to the lifestyle of residents at Safety Beach and needs to be abated.” Mr Ashley said incomplete traffic modelling in 2011 to gauge how the road would cope had caused the problem. “VicRoads’ modelling only ran 6am-11pm – yet we have residents who are sick of traffic noise from as early as 5am from transport trucks and
Quiet, please: Nepean MP Martin Dixon addresses a public meeting called to protest at noise coming from the Mornington Peninsula Freeway. Picture: Supplied
tradies roaring up the freeway,” he said. “The problem is exacerbated by the road being higher than the surrounding residential land, meaning the noise is louder and travels further, and with no noise-abatement measures included.” Mr Ashley said the group would push for 80kph speed limits from Island Drive to McCrae “until the noise reduction works are completed”. “The action group is pleased that Vic Roads has
identified it is an issue for all residents. It is becoming an environmental issue, too, in relation to noise and the quality of life for residents and retirees.” Mr Ashley said the freeway had been “neglected by all authorities, state, local and VicRoads for too long and should be upgraded to meet the standards set for all new road works”.
NEPEAN MP Martin Dixon is calling on Roads Minister Luke Donnellan to make sound walls on the Mornington Peninsula Freeway between Safety Beach and Rosebud a “funding priority”. He said noise levels were “making life hell for residents”. Speaking in in state parliament Mr Dixon said the road was “the only urban freeway in Victoria that has no sound walls”. “Peninsula Link has added to the freeway traffic, not only in terms of people commuting, but also in terms of people visiting the area,” he said. “Residents tell me that it is quite busy up until midnight and that the traffic starts again 5 to 5.30am.” He said a section at Safety Beach had been resurfaced but that “some bright spark in VicRoads decided to put the roughest possible surface on it. The noise levels have gone through the roof on that section”. Mr Dixon said that, instead of installing sound walls, VicRoads began trialling different, quieter, road surfaces in a number of sections. “This has cut the noise down, but VicRoads engineers have told me off the record that that really only makes a five per cent to, at best, 20 per cent, difference in terms of sound reduction,” he said. Mr Dixon is encouraging residents to sign a petition he is sending it to 8000 houses in streets that align with the freeway between Safety Beach and Rosebud. The petition calls for such noise-reducing measures as low earth walls, sound deadening road surfacing, noise attenuating barriers and tree planting.
Note of ‘dischord’ outside MP’s office MUSICIAN Steve Romig didn’t quite get the audience he was hoping for when singing a protest song outside the Hastings office of Flinders MP Greg Hunt. A troubadour with a message about his concern for the environment, Romig, of Tootgarook, says the Environment Minister’s staff quickly left and locked the office before he even played a note. Despite the empty office he decided to continue his performance, even though it seemed his only public audience were the occupants of a mysterious black four-wheel drive, parked just across the car park. His manager, Michael Snelson, of Balnarring-based Soul Management, said Mr Hunt’s staff “shut up shop” just after 10am Thursday as he and Romig were waiting for Arts Party Senate candidate, Maureen Andrew.
“They literally closed the office and drove away. We know this as other members of the general public were trying to get into the office and couldn't enter, so they all left,” Snelson said. “Steve decided to continue and commenced his peaceful protest by singing his song Come My Children.” It was at this stage that the troubadours spotted the four-wheel drive with darkened windows. “We noticed the occupants watching us and thought it may have been Greg avoiding us,” Snelson said. “Steve decided to walk over to them, continuing his singing. “Once he finished his song the occupants exited the car and introduced themselves as federal undercover police officers. “They were very friendly and we all
had a laugh about Steve having just serenaded them. “They confirmed they were called by Greg's office before the staff had left. They also confirmed the staff left because of us, which was interesting considering Steve hadn't even gone near Greg’s office at that point. “They explained their presence was precautionary only and agreed their presence was probably overkill given the circumstances.” Show over, Romig and his entourage moved to High St and the VEC polling “shop” where, according to Snelson, they found a few other Flinders candidates “were more than happy to talk to Steve and get involved with him. A very different outcome to what we faced at Greg Hunt’s office”. Keith Platt
Steve Romig’s protest was missed by Greg Hunt but picked up by the federal police.
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