Panda headphones for kids as residents near Suburban Rail Loop sites brace for 24 hour construction, six days a week

Major construction on the Suburban Rail Loop will be able to be carried out 24 hours a day, six days a week this summer — and the noise solution offered to residents who say their homes will be “unlivable” has been branded a “sick joke”.

Families in Melbourne’s southeast fear construction of Suburban Rail Loop tunnel entrances up to 24 hours a day, six days a week, will make their homes “unlivable” this summer.

Some residents next to work sites who applied for relocation when 24-hour works begin have been knocked back, with children given sleep headbands with built-in speakers to help them sleep.

Major construction at Heatherton, where tunnel entrances are being built for boring machines to start digging the $34.5 billion rail line from Cheltenham to Box Hill, is set to step up from January.

The Davies family who will have 24 hour suburban rail loop work going on just over their back fence. Picture: David Crosling

Information provided to residents shows that construction of one tunnel entrance about 100 metres from homes will use crews on site six days a week, up to 24 hours a day, from January.

When asked about relocation options, the SRL downplayed the impact as “moderate levels of noise and light” and said “works after 10pm do not meet the threshold for proactive residential relocation.

“While the works may occur up to 24 hours, six days per week, in most instances between January and April we do not expect that works will continue all night,” one response says.

Bronwyn Davies, who lives close to the western tunnel entrance, said her family of five was not offered relocation.

Rooms closest to the work site at the back of the house were double glazed by the SRL team, but bedrooms on other parts of the home had not.

“It’s a pretty horrible situation … they have made our homes unpleasant to live in,” she said.

“Our back yard is going to be unlivable in summer, we are sitting out there now and it’s not deafening but you wouldn’t be able to have people over.”

The Western Tunnel Entrance is right next to Nicholas Grove. Picture: Supplied

Ms Davies said white noise machines had been provided for older children and a “panda headband” that has built-in speakers given to their youngest.

She said having great neighbours and friends in the area meant it would be difficult to leave the street, and they wouldn’t be able to get the same size property if they did move.

“We shouldn’t have to take a financial hit because they have built this ridiculous project behind us,” she said.

The family has been given white noise machines and a headband with built-in speakers. Picture: David Crosling

Opposition transport infrastructure spokesman, Evan Mulholland, said residents were being treated with contempt and providing headphones for 24-hour works was a “sick joke”.

“Labor is pouring tens of billions worth of debt into a project Victorians don’t want, but they won’t spend a cent to treat local families with dignity,” he said.

A spokesperson for the SRL Authority said that residents in the street adjacent to the works had been offered voluntary purchase options, and temporary relocation was offered on a case-by-case basis.

“We have been working with residents for years and have offered them tailored support including double-glazed windows, fence upgrades and we will continue to monitor noise and vibration levels and take further action if required,” they said.

“Delivering a project of this scale and complexity involves some unavoidable disruption and we thank residents for their patience as we get on building this project of national significance, while also continuing to minimise disruption.”

Originally published as Panda headphones for kids as residents near Suburban Rail Loop sites brace for 24 hour construction, six days a week