By ALESHA CAPONE
MORE than 870 people have signed a petition urging the Regional Rail Link Authority to act on noise and vibration caused by increased trains running between Sunshine and Deer Park.
Derrimut MP Telmo Languiller has submitted the petition to the Legislative Assembly of Victoria.
The document urges the RRLA to immediately meet with Brimbank City Council “with a view to implementing appropriate noise protection, including vibration/freight noise, as a condition of the government funding of the project”.
“When the regional rail project is complete, there will be up to 18 trains every hour through Ardeer and Deer Park stations,” Mr Languiller said.
He said the RRL’s Sunshine to Deer Park section has been recognised as the link with the greatest residential density which will be most affected by increased noise.
Mr Languiller said the RRLA has proposed noise walls as the only solution and refused to discuss options such as earth mounding and lowering of the rail line.
Mr Languiller has also asked for grade separations at the Fitzgerald-Forrest Rd and Mount Derrimut-Tilburn Rd to be implemented to deal with the increase to traffic congestion.
“While our community is being asked to cope with the increase in rail traffic, there will be no increase at all to the number of trains stopping at Ardeer stations,” he said.
RRLA spokesperson, Bob Neilson, said in applying the State Government’s Passenger Rail Infrastructure Policy, RRL had been required to consider practical, reasonable and cost-effective noise treatments.
“Regional Rail Link Authority assessed noise impacts of the project and considered a range of options including noise walls, earth mounds, rail cuttings and low-level trackside barriers,” he said.
“Noise barriers were found to provide the best noise mitigation solution and broader community benefits, reducing noise inside properties and in surrounding areas.
“Noise barriers are a proven engineering solution and are used worldwide to effectively mitigate rail and road noise.
“Regional Rail Link Authority conducted an extensive community engagement program about the project’s application of the government noise policy and the planned noise barrier.
“This process is now complete and construction of the noise barriers is underway.”
