Residents living near Victoria University’s Ballarat Road campus are demanding an urgent upgrade of an unsealed car park, claiming it is a health and safety hazard.
Tim Jones, a Tiernan Street resident and Residents for a Better VU Environment spokesman, said the car park’s condition was unacceptable and poor drainage was leading to nearby properties being flooded.
Mr Jones said VU had yet to act despite years of complaints.
“Ballarat Road is a gateway to the west, but the first thing people see is the car park – it’s an eyesore,” he said.
“When the wind picks up, dust from the car park inundates our houses and blows into the nearby childcare centre.
“Rubbish is also a major problem and it regularly blocks our drains. There’s been occasions when some of the bins within the car park haven’t been emptied in six weeks.
“Despite speed humps along Tiernan Street, we regularly see drivers fly out of the car park and with a lot of elderly residents in this area we fear it’s only a matter of time before somebody gets hurt.’’
Mr Jones said that to protect the safety of residents, cars should only be allowed to enter and exit from Ballarat Road.
He said residents feared recently approved residential towers – which will be built on part of an existing car park on the corner of Tiernan Street and house up to 500 students – will create further problems and limit parking for residents in Tiernan, Federal, David and Peter streets.
Along with an upgraded car park, the residents group wants the introduction of resident permit parking, traffic islands to restrict vehicle speeds, and better rubbish management.
“The university has told us the towers will not significantly add to car numbers in the area, but adding 500 extra residents without upgrading the car park would be outrageous,” Mr Jones said.
“For years we’ve been told the university is planning to upgrade the car park, but we’ll believe it when we see it.”
A university spokeswoman said a multimillion-dollar project to upgrade car park was about to go to tender.
“The project to seal the car park is likely to cost in the vicinity of $6 million,” she said.
“It requires substantial work to seal the surface but also to undertake the necessary drainage works to ensure appropriate run-off mitigation. The university has been meeting with residents and working with them where possible to address issues.’’
The spokeswoman said VU was also working with Maribyrnong council on a transport plan to encourage staff and students to use alternative modes of transport.
