Residents are urging the Regional Rail Link Authority to give them another chance to voice their concerns about noise barriers some fear will become graffiti-ridden ‘‘Berlin walls’’.
People power last week forced Brimbank council to move an alternative motion during a heated meeting in Deer Park.
Residents scoffed at suggestions the RRL Authority had adequately consulted those living near the site of two walls designed to reduce noise caused by extra trains traversing Sunshine West, Albion, Ardeer and Deer Park.
The council had planned to simply liaise with RRL on the design of the walls, including pushing for landscaping designed to prevent graffiti. But dissent from the gallery forced Brimbank chairman John Watson to change tack.
“This decision should be suspended until the community’s concerns are heard,” one resident shouted.
“We will request another information session for those who haven’t participated yet,” Mr Watson replied. “We appreciate the frustration of the community.
‘‘We will make our concerns and your concerns known. I can assure you we are listening.”
Sunshine resident Geraldine Brooks said she was happy with the decision to call for “genuine consultation”.
“It’s the beginning of a conversation,” she said. “We’ve been fobbed off by council on to officers in the past. I’ve received emails from Regional Rail Link just two days before these meetings, and they’re not easy to get to.”
Fellow resident John Kodric said previous sessions had been a waste of time.
“We do not want a noise barrier wall directly in front of our homes, now or ever,” he said.
“We don’t claim to be engineers, but we do demand a better approach to resolve noise issues.”
An RRL spokeswoman said residents could contact the authority at any time to discuss issues, but no further consultation sessions were planned. ‘‘At the beginning of October, we doorknocked more than 300 households in the Sunshine-Deer Park area and spoke about the design of the noise treatments,’’ she said.
‘‘Many one-on-one meetings were held and are continuing.
‘‘We held a series of community information sessions in May and June this year.’’
The spokeswoman said noise barriers had been identified as the most appropriate solution to migitate increased train noise between Sunshine and Deer Park.
The $5 billion RRL project will allow regional and metro trains to be separated by early 2016.
