Cade Lucas
When Werribee’s Joe Camilleri complained about dust coming from the nearby Harpley estate development owned by construction giant Lendlease, he got a response he wasn’t expecting.
“Lendlease offered me a goodwill gesture of $300 to wash our unit down,“ he said.
“They offered me 15 vouchers so I could wash my car.“
The 73-year-old lives with his wife Margaret in the Ison Village retirement community in Bulban Road, just to the east of the Harpley development on McGrath Road.
While his home and car certainly need a wash thanks to the dust caused by rock crushing at the site, Mr Camilleri wasn’t interested in a Band-Aid solution.
“I don’t want money, I want the dust stopped,“ he said.
He’s not alone.
Star Weekly spoke to number of nearby residents and businesses about dust from the site, who say the problem has grown progressively worse over the past 18 months as Harpley has moved operations closer to Bulban Road and nearby homes. The rocks are excavated and crushed to prepare the site for construction, but when the wind blows, which is often, the dust coats the houses and buildings adjacent.
“There’s dust everywhere,” said fellow Ison Village resident, Joe Shelly.
“It’s all over the cars and the dust is that thick on the window screens that you got to change the windscreen wiper rubbers.”
The Casaccio Egg Farm on the corner of Bulban and McGrath Road have also complained about the dust, but stress that it has not affected their birds or the safety of their products.
For Mr Camilleri though, the possible health effects of breathing in the dust is his biggest concern.
“I used to do health and safety in construction. We’re gonna end up with silicosis here or emphysema,” he said, pointing out he gets regular nosebleeds, while neighbours have reported coughing and tight chests.
Mr Shelly, 77, is also worried about where the rocks causing the dust come from.
“This is all coming out of digging deep in mud. What’s in the bottom of there?” said Mr Shelly who claimed a complaint he made to the Environmental Protection Authority last week was dismissed.
In a statement, the EPA acknowledged receiving the complaint.
“The incident on 14 June involved strong winds from the west.
“EPA is conducting further investigations into the matter with council and will coordinate further inspections based on weather conditions.”
Wyndham council confirmed they had inspected the the site with the EPA and had given it the all clear.
“A full onsite audit was undertaken last year by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) who
concluded they were satisfied that appropriate dust management controls were in place.
Wyndham City also receives weekly dust management reports.”
In a statement, a spokesman for Lendlease said:
“The health and safety of our residents, contractors and the community is our number one priority.
All works on site adhere to strict council and regulatory requirements for monitoring and managing dust impacts.“
It’s believed that basalt rock is causing the dust and tests have shown it not to be dangerous.
Joe Camilleri said it was time authorities and the developer addressed the problem.
“I want the council, EPA and Lendlease to get together and see what they can bloody do.
“We can’t keep living like this.”
It is estimated the works will continue for the next 12 to 18 months.
