Photo: Janice Hughes By Jan Fleming
YESTERDAY I did something I never thought I would do: I had a real estate agent come round to give me an estimate on my house.
My partner John and I have had some very happy years here in Batman Street. Surf Beach is just down the road. We walk there every day with our greyhound Cash. We have good neighbours. There is a real sense of community. I thought this was my forever house.
Everything changed just before Christmas when the council removed the dust suppressant from our street.
It was always a busy street because it leads straight to Surfies Point. There is heavy traffic most of the time because the tradies can pull up at the car park and check out the surf without even getting out of their utes. It’s a narrow road, with ditches either side, and they drive too fast, but we could live with it. Until now.
YESTERDAY I did something I never thought I would do: I had a real estate agent come round to give me an estimate on my house.
My partner John and I have had some very happy years here in Batman Street. Surf Beach is just down the road. We walk there every day with our greyhound Cash. We have good neighbours. There is a real sense of community. I thought this was my forever house.
Everything changed just before Christmas when the council removed the dust suppressant from our street.
It was always a busy street because it leads straight to Surfies Point. There is heavy traffic most of the time because the tradies can pull up at the car park and check out the surf without even getting out of their utes. It’s a narrow road, with ditches either side, and they drive too fast, but we could live with it. Until now.
Now the dust is so bad I have to hose every day, including the solar panels, the car windows and the garden, which is suffering badly.
We have to keep the doors and windows shut, and even then the dust comes into the house. I constantly have sore eyes. John is an artist and usually paints in the carport, but that’s now impossible because the dust fills the air and covers everything.
This week the council installed temporary signs in Batman Street, as they did in the other unsealed roads around the Esplanade. I understand they’ve helped in some streets – but they’ve made no difference here. I don’t think the tradies even see them. They’re too intent on getting to the surf.
The road is dangerous for walkers, cyclists, and those pushing prams. There is no footpath and it’s impossible to jump the deep drains onto the nature strip. My neighbour left his vehicle out to try to slow the traffic and it made no difference,
We are told we may have to wait four years for the road to be sealed. John is 86. I’m 76. I will be 80 by the time the road is sealed. We should not have to live like this in the meantime.
Please, council, replace the dust suppressant on our road in the meantime and do something to slow the traffic.
Batman Street residents have petitioned the council for urgent measures to calm traffic and reduce the dust.
We have to keep the doors and windows shut, and even then the dust comes into the house. I constantly have sore eyes. John is an artist and usually paints in the carport, but that’s now impossible because the dust fills the air and covers everything.
This week the council installed temporary signs in Batman Street, as they did in the other unsealed roads around the Esplanade. I understand they’ve helped in some streets – but they’ve made no difference here. I don’t think the tradies even see them. They’re too intent on getting to the surf.
The road is dangerous for walkers, cyclists, and those pushing prams. There is no footpath and it’s impossible to jump the deep drains onto the nature strip. My neighbour left his vehicle out to try to slow the traffic and it made no difference,
We are told we may have to wait four years for the road to be sealed. John is 86. I’m 76. I will be 80 by the time the road is sealed. We should not have to live like this in the meantime.
Please, council, replace the dust suppressant on our road in the meantime and do something to slow the traffic.
Batman Street residents have petitioned the council for urgent measures to calm traffic and reduce the dust.