Kew Recreation Centre: Family use tent in a park to escape construction noise

A pregnant mother of two and her husband have had to rough it in a tent and use other emergency accommodation to escape “unbearable” construction noise.

A pregnant woman and her young family have spent time resting in a tent in a park to escape construction noise from a recreation centre being built next to their home.

Kew’s Tao Langham and wife Sara Cicala, who is 24-weeks pregnant, fear for the safe arrival of their baby as they are constantly moving around due to construction of the new Kew Recreation Centre.

They have been on the move due to what they claim is “unbearable” machinery noise since construction for Boroondara Council’s $67.5m project began in March after three months of demolition works.

The family claim the activity forced them to wear earmuffs around their New St home and caused floors and stairs to vibrate, glasses to rattle in cabinets, and statues to fall off bookshelves.

Not wanting to “lump in” on relatives and friends’ homes, Mr Langham bought a tent and a mattress and erected it in Dickinson’s Reserve for his wife and daughters, aged two and four, to stay in during the day on several occasions in April.

Tao Langham has gone to the extreme measure of buying a tent and mattress for his pregnant wife Sara, daughters Ilaria and Oceane and dog Ziggy to use to escape construction noises near their Kew home. Picture: Tony Gough

Tao Langham with a view of construction of the Kew Recreation Centre next to his New St home. Picture: Tony Gough

“It’s a constant medium noise and vibration that goes on throughout the day and you can’t think, therefore you can’t stay home,” Ms Cicala said.

“A pregnant woman shouldn’t be forced to lay down on a cold day in a park just to have a moment of rest.”

In a letter from the council seen by the Herald Sun, the council suggested in March that neighbours escape to local libraries if the noise became too much.

Following complaints from the family, the council provided day respite at its Kew East and Balwyn maternal health centres and then moved them to an apartment at Kew’s Quest Hotel,

which they have used for the past six weeks.

The family has been returning home to sleep at night while works aren’t being carried out.

Construction of the centre is not expected to be finished until early 2023, and Ms Cicala, who had complications during her second pregnancy and suffers migraines, worries she will be unable to cope.

The new Kew Recreation Centre and pool is set to be finished in early 2023. File picture.

“It worries me not feeling safe in my own home, and once the baby is born … having to come back, stay at home during the day and trying to rest from all the noise and vibration and how I’m going to do it.”

Mr Langham said his breaking point came when a diesel tank was discovered at the site, and led to a wet toxic smell filling the air which made him dizzy.

The removal of the tank and contaminated soil will cost the council $3 million.

Mr Langham said the works had made his home “inhabitable” and the council “haven’t adjusted any schedule of works or machinery to assist the neighbours”.

The council’s director of places and spaces, Daniel Freer, said construction was being completed within occupational health and safety and Environmental Protection Authority guidelines and won’t be scaled back.

“The contractors and council work together to reduce construction time frames by undertaking works as quickly as possible and providing regular notifications to residents regarding the works,” he said.

Mr Freer said Mr Langham and his family would have to leave the Quest apartment and return home once nearby compaction and vibration works were completed at the end of the month.

“Council has taken steps to relocate Mr Langham and his family through a period of construction works involving soil compaction close to their home to in order to remove any impact on their lives,” he said.