By Tom Cowie
Residents near the North East Link worksite say their lives have been upended by a daily influx of tradie utes and construction workers’ cars clogging up neighbourhood streets.
For more than two years, locals in Macleod have expressed frustration at large vehicles taking up car spaces outside their homes, with the introduction of timed parking restrictions doing little to ease congestion.
Macleod residents Christine Telfer, Jodie Larkin and Catherine Mifsud are frustrated at local streets being overrun with construction vehicles.Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui
Missed bin collection, blocked driveways, damaged cars and poor access for emergency services are some of the issues cited by residents, who are calling on Banyule City Council to do more to alleviate the problem.
In some streets, including Yallambie Road, Clara Street and Frensham Road, 24-hour “stage-five” parking restrictions have been enacted to stop workers parking there during their night shift. Other restrictions end at 8pm.
However, residents claim that workers are either ignoring parking fines or leaving old tickets on their windscreens to avoid further punishment.
There are reports of residents feeling intimidated when confronting workers about the parking bans, as well as claims of anti-social behaviour including noise, public urination and drinking.
Local streets in the Macleod area are dealing with an influx of construction worker vehicles.Credit: Councillor Matt Wood
“The project workers are not only sticking their middle finger up to us, but they’re doing it to the council and to North East Link,” said resident Jodie Larkin. “They just don’t care.”
There is no dedicated car park for North East Link workers, although there are spaces at Watsonia train station, about 500 metres from the northern end of the worksite.
Locals believe this option is being disregarded, however, as the streets outside their houses continue to fill up from the early morning.
The influx has made it a challenge to access pockets of Macleod. Some streets in the area are less than seven metres wide; the width of a Ford Ranger, Australia’s top-selling car, is slightly less than two metres.
“When you get two of those things parked on either side, you can’t get through,” said resident Christine Telfer.
“Council could have seen this issue coming but they didn’t do anything to solve it.”
Banyule has increased the number of parking inspectors patrolling the area in response to the community’s frustration, including a petition presented at the most recent council meeting.
“It’s going in the right direction, but we’re still not enforcing quite enough to deter the behaviour,” said councillor Matt Wood, who represents the area.
The North East Link worksite in Macleod.Credit: Jason South
“One hundred per cent, they’re rolling the dice [by parking there]. And, on the weight of numbers, they’re thinking: ‘I probably won’t get a fine. I’m running late for work, so I’ll park here anyway.’”
Wood said it was difficult to find another solution, given 6000 staff were employed at the worksite, arriving in 2500 cars daily.
Efforts to find a vacant piece of land to use as parking had not yet proven successful, he said.
“There’s no place for these workers to park officially and so that is causing them to flood local streets,” Wood said.
Another issue causing frustration was the requirement of locals to apply for permits to park outside their homes. Residents can obtain one permit for free; however, extra permits must be paid for.
Catherine Mifsud said she had copped four fines so far, which she said were the result of restrictions being incorrectly enforced or a lack of understanding towards locals.
“The parking fine restrictions were installed to protect us as the community from these tradies parking in our streets,” she said.
A fire truck checks the passing room between parked vehicles in Macleod.Credit: Matt Wood
“In hindsight, it hasn’t proven to be the case for us. It’s more a money grab for council.”
Banyule Mayor Elizabeth Nealy said it was up to the state government to ensure that the project met its obligations, including workers not parking in local streets.
She said the council had taken steps to improve the situation, including adding more restrictions and increased enforcement.
“Council has previously offered land to the North East Link Project for car parking,” she said. “The offer hasn’t been taken up yet, but it remains available.”
A spokesperson for Major Road Projects Victoria said contractors regularly reminded their workforce about where they can and can’t park.
“No Project Parking” signs had also been installed at key locations, the spokesperson said.
“As we deliver North East Link, we’re always working to minimise the impacts of construction for the local community,” the spokesperson said.
Construction on the North East Link began in 2022 and completion of the toll-road is due by 2028.
Two tunnel boring machines operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, each with crews of up to 20 people.
The project, which will connect the Eastern Freeway in Bulleen with the Metropolitan Ring Road at Greensborough, is predicted to take 15,000 trucks off suburban streets and cut travel times by 30 minutes.
The 10-kilometre road has been plagued by budget blowouts, with the most recent estimate in December 2023 putting the cost at $26 billion.
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