‘Burnouts in the laneway’: Man’s stoush with garbo ‘hoons’

A Charlemont man says garbage truck drivers are “hooning” down his suburban alleyway, leaving tyre marks and damaging the nature strip.

Shane and the skid marks left by rubbish truck drivers. Picture: Alison Wynd

A Charlemont man says garbage truck drivers are “hooning” down his suburban alleyway, leaving tyre marks and damaging the nature strip.

Shane, who did not want his last name published, put a complaint in with council after noticing the damage on the corner of Havant Circuit and Wilburg Way.

“I didn’t hear back from that,” he said.

“So I gave them a bit of an earful.

“This is negligent driving, you’re doing burnouts in the laneway.”

Pictures supplied by Shane show tyre marks on the corner of Wilburg Way, clearly running over the kerb on the corner.

Shane said the skid marks and damage is impacting the value of his property. Picture: Alison Wynd

He said the damaged sign post was allegedly struck by rubbish truck drivers. Picture: Alison Wynd

A nearby sign was also allegedly bent after being hit by a garbage truck.

Shane said his complaining fell on deaf ears at City Hall, so he took the matter up with police and received a response from council not long after.

“They explained to me that they won’t be replacing the cracked kerb,” Shane said.

“They’re not replacing it at this stage because it isn’t up to their gapping to escalate it to the next level.

“Now I’m left with crap kerb and channelling at the front nature strip.”

Shane said the process has left him “frustrated.”

“I’m just trying to keep a lid on,” he said.

“How can you come in and damage your own assets?”

With plans to sell the house in the near future, Shane said the damage would impact the value of the house.

“If I looked at the house now as a potential buyer, I wouldn’t touch it,” he said.

“All I’d be thinking is, what’s going on down that laneway?

“It’s just incompetence.”

City of Greater Geelong executive director of city services James Stirton wasn’t able to say whether council would fix the damage.

“Customers who are unhappy with a council decision, or how a complaint or request for service has been responded to, can request an internal review of their complaint via the council website,” Mr Stirton said.

“The internal review will be conducted by a senior council officer, usually the internal ombudsman, who has not had any prior involvement with the complaint.”

Originally published as ‘Burnouts in the laneway’: Man’s stoush with garbo ‘hoons’