SHOOTERS, Fishers and Farmers’ Upper Hunter candidate Lee Watts is calling on the NSW Government to reduce noise levels along the train line in Singleton.
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This month, exactly a year ago, Australian Community Media reported residents Patricia and Don Hungerford, as well as their neighbours Geraldine and Garry Howlett, were at their wit’s end – and fed up with their never-ending fight to lessen the impacts on their lives.
“We are totally ignored – no-one cares and the authorities, especially the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC), pass the buck,” Mrs Hungerford said at the time.
“So far [in a year], I have made 28 formal complaints about the noise from the trains.
“Each one receives a polite response, yet nothing changes.
“Does anyone take those seriously?
“We aren’t asking for much and we are certainly not anti-coal mining because both our families worked in the industry,” Mrs Howlett added.
“But, we think it’s unfair that our lives are ruined by corporate greed and a lack of care by the authorities.”
Mrs Watts, who’ll face incumbent member Michael Johnsen, Country Labor’s Melanie Dagg, Greens’ Tony Lonergan and Richard Stretton (Christian Democrats) at next month’s election, recently met the couples again – and expressed her concerns for the Hungerfords and Howletts.
“I cannot believe that in four years the state government has not done anything,” she said.
“There have been 550 complaints to the Enviro line, the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) states in a letter they regulate noise impacts; Transport for NSW wrote in one of the numerous replies that they are committed to improving environmental outcomes that includes wheel squeal and freight noise; and the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) also asserts noise mitigation will continue to be delivered on a priority basis.
“But, Singleton needs to be made a priority now.
“The ARTC has placed sound barriers in Scone, due to the increasing number and frequency of trains, because they acknowledge the impact on neighbours.
“They also worked to increase the speed of the trains through town, so that it reduced the ‘shunting’ noise from the train carriages – and the same things need to be done for Singleton residents.”
Mrs Watts admits she also spoke to Mr Howlett four years ago about the problem emanating from their property at Renshaw Avenue.
“However [today], I sat in the house of their neighbour Patricia Hungerford and chatted with both families, listening to them tell me about the impacts the noise from the trains has caused in that time,” she said.
“Fumes and dust are a part of the issue but the noise has changed them, changed the way they live, changed their personalities and changed the people they once were.
“Broken sleep every night will do that to people and the constant noises coming from the trains that do not stop take their toll.”
Both families would not be able to sell their homes – all they ask is that their homes are noise-proofed just like so many other houses along the train line.
“We bought this house 50 years ago,” Mrs Howlett said.
“We knew the train line was there but we were not looking ahead five decades thinking that trains would go through every few minutes.
“We have nothing against the coal trains, but they need to respect the people who have lived here for 50 years.
“Trucks need to limit compression brakes when entering a built-up area,” Mrs Hungerford added.
“However, there is nothing in place for trains.”
Both the Hungerfords and the Howletts are relieved when track work occurs as they know they’ll get a night’s sleep and can open their windows, something we all take for granted.
In the meantime, they sit in their homes trapped, listening to the squeaky wheels and thuds of the trains passing by.