Locals make noise over buck-passing on trucks

Article in “The Age” July 6 2011

WHEN Noah Lautman-Wurt was seven, his family took him to his first protest rally over the number of trucks in residential streets in their Yarraville neighbourhood.Noah, now 17, has heard a decade of state government promises to reduce the number of trucks driving through the inner western suburb.
It hasn’t happened. About 7000 still drive down Yarraville’s Francis Street each weekday.

Noah says he has grown up used to the number of trucks using his suburb as a bypass to the port.
He goes to school in Flemington now and notices the difference. ”I barely ever see trucks around that area compared to here.”
Noah’s father, Martin Wurt, is secretary of the Maribyrnong Truck Action Group, which met with the Environment Protection Authority’s chief executive yesterday to discuss diesel emissions in Yarraville.
Mr Wurt’s group has been seeking a meeting with Transport Minister Terry Mulder since the government was elected last year to see if it has any plan to deal with the truck issue.
Mr Mulder has rejected the meeting requests, telling the group he is too busy.

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4 responses to "Locals make noise over buck-passing on trucks"

  • Rico says: (Edit)

    We are going about this arse-about. The focus of this continued effort should not be about "getting trucks off our streets" 20 years has shown that no one in Government will ever care about nuiscance value inner-west communities who complain, campaign and occasionally rally on issues like this. No, the strategy should be to "stop trucks avoinding tolls". This spins the money situation on its head for any Government. Instead of wanting them to spend money, we are asking them to take action and save money. Its the only way to get a Government to act. Cars pat tolls, why can't trucks pay tolls too?

  • Fraser says: (Edit)

    Just moved into Francis st and god help us. The noise is epic. We saw the night curfew sign and thought it would be quiet at night. How wrong we were. I find it's because the truck company's want to avoid tolls! I find this sickening but not surprising. We wish to join this group.

  • Simon says: (Edit)

    Good point Rico - revenue is the only language they speak. MTAG - you are crazy to believe building ramps through your parkland will improve amenity! The lesson the world over is that more roads = more traffic. Think how many people would love a short cut from the Westgate through Yarraville to Footscray and Nth Melbourne... Build it and they will come. Sure it will take them off Francis St - but they will bottleneck on Whitehall. I would be channelling efforts to direct trucks to the Bolte as was originally planned. Widening you local roads, through your houses and parks is a diabolical outcome and will only make Whitehall and Hyde Streets hideous.

  • Peter says: (Edit)

    Fraser can you email me on [email protected] about joining. Thanks for your interest