By ALESHA CAPONE
BRIMBANK City Council has voted to ask Regional Rail Link Authority to hold another community forum, in a decision which was met with resounding applause from residents last week.
At last Tuesday’s council meeting, two of the Brimbank administrators considered an assessment of the noise walls which the RRLA has proposed to install along the Deer Park rail corridor.
After hearing the report, chair of the administrators John Watson moved an alternative motion to defer the matter and use the council’s “best endeavours” to ask the RRL Authority to convene a community information session.
Claps and calls of “well done” erupted from residents sitting in the gallery when Mr Watson made the announcement.
Neighbours who live hear the RRL works and members of the Fix the Links Residents Rail Action Group have been voicing their concerns about an increase in noise, pollution and traffic congestion in the area.
Resident Maurice Sibelle last week posted a notice on the Fix the Links blog, calling for another protest rally to be held on Friday 1 November in Sunshine.
The council assessment of the proposed RRL noise walls said they would be built between Sunshine to Deer Park, at an average height of 2.5 metres.
A timber wall at an average height of 2.3 metres has been proposed to go along the back fences of most residential properties between Station Rd and Robinsons Rd.
A RRLA spokeswoman said residents could contact the authority “at any time to discuss their issues or concerns”.
“In recent weeks, we have made direct contact with all owners and occupiers of affected properties through personally addressed letters, doorknocks and meeting opportunities,” she said.
“At the beginning of October we doorknocked more than 300 households in the Sunshine – Deer Park area and spoke about the design of the noise treatments, including landscaping and the materials involved.
“Prior to this, we held a series of community information sessions on noise treatments between Sunshine and Deer Park in May and June this year.”
The spokeswoman said more than 16,000 homes were advised of the sessions via mail.
“Following this community liaison and these information sessions, there are no further sessions planned,” she said.
