Hearing loss for Rozelle residents may not be temporary

The trucks may have rolled in and set up the construction compound during the height of winter, but the anger of residents around King George Park is burning hotter than ever.

Building work has recently commenced on the duplication of the Iron Cove Bridge, the latest in a series of projects in the immediate area, which include construction of the Rozelle Metro station, redevelopment of Tigers leagues club, and ongoing development at White Bay. With 10,000m² of land at King George Park occupied for at least the next 18 months, residents will have plenty of time to contemplate their new neighbours.

“The processes requiring public consultation appear to have been fudged, is the nicest word I can think of, and we feel it’s a huge impost on the local community,” said spokesperson for Friends of King George Park, Harry Stone. “We’re in a stage where half the park has been taken up by construction buildings – afterwards, we’ll have a large concrete structure and carriageway above the park. The structure will overshadow great areas of the park, not to mention the increased noise.”

The noise, indeed, has set residents buzzing – literally. Earlier this month, the RTA handed out earmuffs to residents in an attempt to quell the effect of rock-breaking, saw-cutting and asphalting.

Spokesperson for the Victoria Road Community Committee action group, Alex Elliott, said residents couldn’t even expect a return to normal once the trucks left, due to increased traffic flow. “Noise levels will be higher once the project is completed, so the RTA is now starting to look at noise abatement measures,” he said.

An independent report of the Iron Cove Bridge duplication, commissioned by Leichhardt and Canada Bay Councils, said it would increase local traffic congestion by up to 30 per cent in the morning period, fail to deliver the claimed improvement in bus travel times, and severely impact local amenity and heritage.