Sounds like relief at last

By Sean Rogasch

After a frustrating wait, Southbank residents will finally get some relief from truck engine-break-noise as they enter the Burnley Tunnel, with VicRoads confirming the installation of a static noise camera.

The Southbank Local News reported last year that testing had taken place, and the camera was due to be installed early this year. VicRoads’ vehicle management and safety director Don Hogben said it encountered unexpected delays when dealing with tunnel operators CityLink.

“We’ve been through the design phase and then the testing phase and they both went to plan. Where we hit a snag was actually deploying it with CityLink,” Mr Hogben said.

“I think there were some ‘i’s to be dotted and ‘t’s to be crossed in those discussions which we weren’t aware of until we were ready to install it. That was obviously a source of frustration for the residents and it was a source of frustration for us too,” Mr Hogben added.

The delay and lack of information frustrated residents like David Jones, who has been at the forefront of the engine-break-noise issue since he contacted Mr Hogben about the problems in 2009.

“In 2011 VicRoads promised to install a fixed camera at the Burnley Tunnel entrance by January, 2012,” Mr Jones said.

“Three months after the camera was supposed to be installed, VicRoads was not able to offer any new information, nor a revised installation date, and it seemed that the Burnley Tunnel camera project had come to a halt. It was felt that residents’ concerns on this particular issue were not a priority for VicRoads,” Mr Jones said.

He went on to explain that those feelings had well and truly subsided once it became apparent the camera had been cleared and was not far away from being installed.

“We’re relieved something is happening at last and it looks like the camera is not too far away. Relief is the word. Now that we know action is being taken, the frustration has gone,” Mr Jones concluded.

Mr Hogben could not confirm a date for the installation but said clearance had been given from CityLink to go ahead, so it was just a matter of sorting out the logistics of the installation.

“The technology has been put together and we’ve tested it and the money is still there to install. It was just getting the approval from CityLink. Now that we have that, we just need to find a suitable time to install it,” Mr Hogben explained.

“Because of OH & S, the tunnel will have to be closed for us to install the camera, so we haven’t set a date yet.”