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Residential Outcry Against Road-noise (R.O.A.R)

The Morwell Residential Outcry Against Road-noise (R.O.A.R.) working party is holding a public meeting in the Morwell R.S.L. Club at 7.30pm on Monday, October 6.

By - 2nd October 2003 - Back to News

Morwell South-side residents want to discuss the traffic noise from the Morwell By-pass Freeway. This follows a petition, signed by over 130 residents who live closest to the freeway, being sent to VicRoads & Latrobe City Council last November.

Julie Hall, spokesperson for the ROAR working party, said the response from VicRoads was to measure the traffic volumes rather than undertake further noise tests. VicRoads then reported that the traffic had increased by 2000 vehicles per day from year 2000 to 2002 and that this would not have resulted in a significant change in noise level. VicRoads do not intend to do anything further she added. Since the freeway opened in 1990 traffic volumes have increased over 200%, from 5763 vehicles per day in 1990 to 17,333 vehicles per day in December 2002 Ms Hall said.

Long time Wallace St. resident Mr Howard Williams said that while Morwell in general benefited by the construction of the freeway, the residents who lived near the freeway have had their living conditions severely degraded. "I understand that little can be done about the significant deterioration in air quality with dust and exhaust fumes but believe the installation of a quieter pavement surface, raising the earth mounds and adding a noise attenuation fence would reduce the noise & visual pollution." Mr Williams added.

Ms Hall urged Morwell south residents to come along to the public meeting to show their support for action to reduce traffic noise from the freeway. The R.O.A.R. group have invited VicRoads, Latrobe City representatives and Local Members of Parliament to attend.

The VicRoads policy states that noise attenuation measures are to be implemented where the measured L10 (18hr) noise level exceeds 63 dB(A), or an increase of 12 dB(A), on new roads and 68 dB(A) on older freeways such as the Princes Freeway. Over the past 10 years, 6 days of noise measurements have returned results ranging from 60.0 – 62.7 dB(A) and no noise attenuation works will be considered unless the noise level exceeds 68 dB(A).

For further information contact Julie Hall 5134 5516 or Howard Williams 5134 2641

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com