Freight noise leads election agenda

Trucks and trains rattling through the Le Fevre Peninsula has been placed front and centre of the local Federal Election agenda.

Residents are calling for Port candidates to back noise buffers being installed at their homes, with the 23,000 vehicles now travelling on Victoria Rd every day expected to double within a decade.

About 180 trains are also tipped to use the rail freight corridor adjacent Mersey Rd each week by mid-2011, up from the existing 160.

“If you had a barrier for the noise it would have to help stop it, it would have to be better,” said Largs North resident Robert Brown, who has long endured truck noise at all hours of the night.

“Not a lot has been done to help residents towards this end of Victoria Rd, it seems like they’ve overlooked us.”

Port-Enfield Outer Harbor councillor Bruce Johansen said noise complaints had been repeatedly overlooked by the Federal and State governments, despite both jointly investing more than $300 million over the past five years to improve road and rail links to Outer Harbor. Cr Johansen said all homes lining Victoria and Mersey roads needed high fencing or double glazing.

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Port Adelaide MHR Mark Butler (Labor) while several residents had spoken with him about their concerns, he did not consider it to be a federal matter. “I have previously written to the State government, which has responsibility for noise and attenuation measures associated with the rail corridor and roads in the area,” he said in an emailed statement.

Liberal candidate Nigel McKenna was also aware of the problems.

“If elected I will fight to see this managed so that the local community enjoys the economic benefits … but with minimal negative impacts, which would include consideration of a train curfew,” he said.

Greens candidate Kalyna Micenko and Family First candidate Bruce Hambour both agreed residents should be offered some form of acoustic barrier to minimise the effects of the noise. Mr Hambour also said the relocation of worst affected residents might need to be considered in the longer term.

via Messenger News