Altona North residents have launched an online petition in a bid to get VicRoads to remove a gated cage topped with barbed wire they say makes their quiet residential street look like a detention centre.
The fence is on one side of Beevers Street, abutting the West Gate Freeway exit to Millers Road. VicRoads owns and manages the road reserve.
The residents’ petition says they were “gobsmacked” after VicRoads erected a “tall chain-mesh, barbed-wire gated cage” around the entire site.
“Now it looks like a detention centre and it has deeply impacted the visual amenity of our street and our homes.”
“The neighbours walk their dogs through this site as it’s very much like a park with landscaped areas and beautiful mature trees, and children sometimes play,” the petition states.
“Now it looks like a detention centre and it has deeply impacted the visual amenity of our street and our homes.”
Residents also complain about rubbish on the site.
“Today they [VicRoads] shut the gate and locked the rubbish inside and dumped the shopping trolleys on to the street,” the petition states. “Creating a cage of rubbish is not the answer.”
VicRoads acting regional director Bryan Sherritt said his organisation had met residents to discuss the issue.
It is understood VicRoads has agreed to remove two rows of barbed wire from the top of the fence.
“We are aware of concerns about a fence recently around a parcel of VicRoads-owned land in Beevers Street, Altona North,” Mr Sherrit said.
“This fence was installed as a safety measure following reports of children playing in illegally dumped rubbish at the site.
“This week, we met a group of concerned residents and agreed to a number of modifications to the fence and will continue to work with the local community to address any other issues they may have.”
