Trucks blowing up dust creates nightmare for residents

A Yarra’s Edge resident says excessive noise from trucks and concrete dusts blowing into her home is creating a living nightmare for her.

Local resident Anna said trucks using Lorimer St to access the multiple cement and concrete depots in the Lorimer precinct had become “quite stressful” and “very disruptive.”

“The trucks rock the building; you shouldn’t have to feel anxious when there’s an earthquake every second week,” Anna, who asked not to publish her surname, said of her apartment building.

Anna said the problem was worse on windy days where “you’re breathing in dust,” adding she had bought an air-filter for her home as we “can’t go out and we can’t open the windows.”

Her car, which is often covered in “grey” dust when parked in the street, had also been struck twice by passing trucks.

She said she was considering leaving Docklands if the problem continued, adding other residents in the neighbourhood had expressed frustration.

“The cement work is causing us all stress. The council knows about this, and they won’t do anything so that’s why I get really frustrated.”

She said trucks were also leaving “cement all over the road,” which was cleaned up on one occasion after she called VicRoads.

“We had a brand-new road and it’s all going to be ruined,” she said.

The issue has raised questions about the future liveability of the Lorimer precinct and whether a balance can be struck between movement and access, ecology, open space and other land uses under the Fishermans Bend urban renewal project, which will be home to 80,000 residents by 2050.

Meanwhile, Anna said the stress of noisy trucks and dust was also compounded by hoons constantly tearing up the streets – an issue that has caused residents to move out of the area as the careless behaviour “impinges” upon their lives.

“Two or three cars came down Lorimer St and they’re doing 160 miles an hour racing. I’m thinking where are the police now?”

A Docklands Representative Group spokesperson said hoon activity was an “ongoing issue” which, “alongside being dangerous, really impacts residents in terms of night-time noise levels”.

Police said they were proactively patrolling the area •