MARIBYRNONG Council is taking the fight against soaring trucks numbers on residential roads up to the state government, despite legal advice suggesting its hands are tied.
A motion by Cr Grant Miles to last week’s ordinary council meeting raised “concern and regret” that the proposed east-west road tunnel would begin in the east.
The council is seeking better school crossing safety on Somerville Road in Yarraville, including possible crossing-time curfews and reduced speed limits.
Neighbouring councils including Hobsons Bay and Brimbank will be recruited in the push for West Gate Freeway truck ramps to be built. The council will also pressure CityLink to allow large trucks to use the Bolte Bridge from 11pm-6am in a bid to reduce the number of trucks rat-running through inner-west residential streets.
Cr Miles said safety on Somerville Road must be a priority, with about 2000 trucks travelling past Kingsville, Yarraville West and St Augustine’s primary schools each weekday.
But the council is powerless to make desired safety changes without VicRoads approval.
VicRoads is resistant to further curfews or speed reduction and Roads Minister Terry Mulder has ruled out looking at curfews until a 12-month Environment Protection Authority report on Francis Street air quality and noise levels is completed later this year.
The council’s CEO Vince Haining said legal advice against going it alone “is quite comprehensive and considered”.
Cr Miles said Footscray had been home to some of Melbourne’s dirtiest industries for more than a century, polluting its streets, soils and rivers.
“The ‘rivers’ we are polluting today are called Moore Street, Buckley Street, Somerville Road and Francis Street, and the effluent we are pumping into these ‘rivers’ is much more insidious, invasive and much, much more dangerous,” he said.
“It is imperative that the load we bear for greater Melbourne must be brought to the attention of all and kept in their attention, for, as in the past, the burden we carry is unfair.”
He said the West Gate Freeway ramps must be built for health, safety and economic reasons.
“There are no losers from freeing our streets from trucks.”
Mayor Catherine Cumming said it was important to work with the transport industry and drivers.
“Those poor drivers are sitting in fumes and congestion every day.
“They are actually just doing their job, they are using the roads they think they should be using, and really the state and federal governments should put money towards proper infrastructure for truck drivers that will actually help the residents of this area.”
The council has invited the Maribyrnong Truck Action Group to speak at its June 11 meeting and will prepare an advocacy plan by July to target “the unacceptable current impact of truck traffic within the Yarraville and Footscray areas”.
