Deer Park Bypass | Open Letter Deer Park Bypass | Open Letter

This is a copy of an Open Letter written to Mr BOYD, VicRoads regarding Deer Park Bypass on May 12, 2009.

I am appalled by your smug responses to questions put to you by the channel 10 reporter. When asked the question if you would like the Deer Park Bypass in your back yard, your response was to have a grin on your face and respond in a totally unsatisfactory manner and avoid the question. This has been the response from VicRoads since the construction in the vicinity of Fitzgerald Road began.

In your words 'VicRoads as a government body' should be far more accountable than it currently is, I work in a Government Department and if I or my superiors dealt members of the public with the lack of regard shown by VicRoads, we would soon be out of a job.

Your response in relation to the taking of measurements you and I both know will not amount to much as the measurements will be averaged out over an 18 hour period and the level of 68 dba is quite high. These measurements do not take into account the burst of exhaust brakes at 11.00 p.m., 2.00 a.m. or whatever other time of the day or night the truck drivers decided to decelerate.

We had recently completed an extension to our home and have as most parents do, put our children at the back of our home in an effort to keep them away from any potential dangers from the front. So not only have we and our children been subjected to the constant construction noise whilst the bridge was being built, which as you know went until 2.00 a.m. or later in the morning (I am still waiting for an answer as to what authority permitted this as it is clearly in violation of any laws that I'm aware of). We are still subjected to continual construction noise, dirt and that is the least of our problems. Our children are still woken at night by passing traffic and you may be able to understand this makes life very difficult, not only does this affect the one child, it affects the whole family, it also affects their ability to effectively learn and concentrate at school. The formative years can and do set a learning precedent with children and if we can reinforce a good learning process at a young age it will only benefit them in future years, the Bypass makes this very difficult. We are reluctant to allow our children outside to play due to the noise level and the amount of dust and pollution in the air from construction and passing traffic. As you are well aware the height of the off ramp onto the Ring Road is extremely high and pollution both noise and atmospheric will fall down, straight into our backyard.

We can not even go into our backyard on a nice night and have a barbecue due to the noise, we can not open our windows or doors on a summers night to allow a fresh breeze in. VicRoads have effectively made us prisoners in our own homes, you can blame Leightons as much as you like, they are only the builders, VicRoads approved the plans. The design of the off ramps and on ramps of the Deer Park Bypass effectively channels the noise directly to the surrounding houses, the 'noise barriers' are ugly and only compound the imprisoned feeling, imagine walking out into YOUR backyard and being confronted by a huge sliver metal wall. You have effectively stolen the daylight from some residents.

I am forced to wear ear plugs every single night in an effort to try and get some sleep! We have been here since 1995 and have never has any issues with the Ring Road as such, all of the problems have arisen since the Deer Park Bypass has been built. Now I wake of a morning take my ear plugs out and listen to the traffic on the Ring Road and Bypass as if it were passing directly out the front of my home. I am a shift worker and at times I finish work at 11.00 p.m. and I am required to start back at work at 7.00 a.m., this in itself is bad enough, but coming home and not being able to sleep adequately is surely going to be unhealthy for me.

My family and I have started to look at other properties to purchase due solely to the Deer Park Bypass. As you may be able to understand this is extremely upsetting to my children, 2 of whom are at school and a 3rd one at Kindergarten and looking forward to going to the same school as his sisters. Our plan was for our children to all attend the same school from Prep to Grade 6. I am on the school council and want to play an active role in my children's life and in the community, this is now ruined. We will have to uproot our children from an excellent school in an area we like to an unknown future. I went to a number of different schools and found it very difficult to assimilate into new environment, I did not want this for my children.

I also work 15 minutes from home, this will change and by moving it will increase my travel time again affecting my quality of life. If we buy another house and are forced to sell ours is VicRoads going to pay the stamp duty? I think not. There are a world of different things the construction of the Deer Park Bypass has caused and not all of them good.

I would appreciate a response to this e mail and not the political dribble that you replied in last time, which only served to make me angrier.

Terry & Christine WEST

❊ Address ❊

 ⊜  Fitzgerald Road, Deer Park 3023 View Map

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❊ Web Links ❊

➼ Deer Park Bypass | Open Letter 

➼ www.vicroads.vic.gov.au






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