Star Weekly has looked back through our archives for 2022 and selected some of our favourite stories, including a story about Footscray residents reiterating their demands to reduce the level of truck traffic on Footscray roads.
A group of Footscray residents have renewed calls for Roads Minister Ben Carroll to meet with them to discuss their concerns of health impacts due to truck noise, despite curfews being in place to stop A-double and B-double trucks.
The Bring Back the Footscray Truck Curfew community group has launched a petition, which has received more than 500 signatures, and has called for Footscray MP Katie Hall to advocate for Mr Carroll to hear their concerns in person.
As reported by Star Weekly, Maribyrnong mayor Anthony Tran and councillor Bernadette Thomas joined Maribyrnong Truck Action Group president Martin Wurt, local MPs Katie Hall and Melissa Horne and Victorian Transport Association chief executive Peter Anderson to announce signage would be installed along Somerville Road indicating no A-double or B-double trucks were permitted along Somerville Road between Geelong Road and Whitehall Street.
Other curfews are in place across Footscray, including Moore Street and Whitehall Street, as well as a 24/7 truck ban along Hyde Street north of Francis Street.
Moore Street resident Mal Wilczynski said she moved into the area because she thought there was a truck curfew in place.
“I’ve been on Moore Street for about three years,“ she said.
“I fell in love with the community.“
Working in construction and having to wake up early, Ms Wilczynski said she struggled with getting enough sleep with the high levels of truck noise.
“Monstrous trucks and Road Trains roar through our streets, blasting noise into our houses that stops us sleeping,“ she said.
“They are so heavy they make our houses shake.
“There are children on this street, young parents who can’t get their kids to sleep, elderly residents who can not escape the barrage of noise.“
Details: www.megaphone.org.au/petitions/bring-back-the-footscray-truck-curfew
Matthew Sims
