13 June 2006

Register your thoughts about the Dragway Noise Document

| seepi
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Outrage is growing against the ACT horror budget, in which schools are closing, yet expensive recreational projects such as the dragway are going ahead.
Many inner north residents oppose the dragway, due to the immense noise pollution it will create on weekends between 9AM-9PM. The Environmental Protection Agency in Canberra is proposing a change to the ACT’s noise protection policy, to allow substantially greater noise in the inner north than anywhere else in Canberra. They openly state that this is to allow the dragway to operate. Under current ACT noise pollution laws the dragway 3km from the suburbs would be disallowed. And Mt Majura nature park would not be turning into the Dragway Noise Buffer Zone, with average noise levels of 100 decibells.

Responses to the ACT government’s dragway noise policy are due by tomorrow – Wednesday 14 June. This is the consultation Andrew Barr has referred to. Although it seems the only way affected residents would find out about this noise report is by word of mouth. If you are concerned about the dragway you can email or post the letter below – or your own version of it to Daniel Walters at the EPA. Letters must be specifically about dragway noise and the noise report. Letters supporting or opposing the dragway altogether should be sent to Andrew Barr separately.

If you want to read the EPA’s dragway noise amendment report it is at:
http://www.environment.act.gov.au/yourenvironmenthwp/docpubcom/draft_dragway_motor_sport_noise_environment_protection_policy

Email: Daniel.Walters@act.gov.au

Post to: Environment Protection Authority, Environment ACT, PO Box 144, Lyneham ACT 2602

Dear EPA,

I am writing this letter to let you know my concerns about the Draft Dragway Motor Sport Environment Protection Policy (EPP).

I am concerned about this document because:

The document is very long, hard to understand and hard to find on the government website. This is not conducive to open and consultative government.

I only found out about the report by chance, and I feel many affected Canberrans may not know about it, and will not get the chance to comment.

I am concerned that there are special less stringent noise regulations being proposed for one small area of Canberra – the suburbs and nature parks in close proximity to the dragway. I believe all of Canberra should have the same noise protections.

It seems that the noise has been measured in an average form, rather then listing the actual peak noises. This means I am unsure of how loud the peak noises will be. I am afraid noise will drive me out of bed in the mornings – or at the least, make conversation impossible in the backyard during bbqs and other events.

I am concerned that houses in the affected areas are not equipped to cope with louder noise levels than the rest of Canberra. Those without cooling systems rely on opening windows to get a breeze. This EPP allows for noise for 12 hour periods, which is too long for affected residents to go without opening any windows to their homes.

The duration of the noise proposed in the EPP from 9AM to 9PM is too long. The disruptive noise should not be allowed to go on after dark. Small children will be sleeping, and also background noise levels will be diminished. Noise should also not be able to start at 9.00AM. I feel disruptively noisy events should be limited to afternoons only.

Compensation should be available. I feel that if normal life is impossible in affected homes due to excessive noise, sound proofing should be paid for by the government. It is unfair for residents to have to bear excessive costs to make houses liveable.

Mt Majura nature park is a beautiful spot, beloved by many, and used by hundreds each evening and weekend. It is upsetting that this area is not protected from the dragway noise at all in the EPP, as it is not residential. In fact it is described as a noise buffer zone. The Mt Ainslie, Mt Majura area is utilised by many people who do not live in the immediate locale, and are not aware of the planned dragway, and the noise policy document. This document should be much more widely publicised, to achieve any level of genuine community consultation.

Yours

(Full name and residential address must be included for this to count as a a formal response to the EPP.)
🙂

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They’ve paid big money to live there – of course they should be looked after – that’s just democracy: the more money you’ve got, the more democracy you can afford.

Why so rude??
Someone asked if we could hear the guns and I answered. I’m not complaining about the guns, and I used the wardrobe description to try to describe how the sounds is something that you almost feel more it than you hear it.
Planning laws in the inner north have been changed, to mean that noise levels can be louder than anywhere else in Canberra – which was the original subject of this post.
Are you saying that residents of the inner souht are better than everyone else???

Whinging shit bags. If you people want inner city convenience and leafy peace and quite pony up some real money and move to Forrest / Red Hill / Deakin / Yarralumla.

There’s nothing more annoying than some prick who thinks just cause they paid $500k for a dually in Watson they are somehow better than the rest of us. Carrying on about “…someone was throwing wardrobes around in the next room” actually weakens your argument because the planning laws only have to consider the impact on your average punter – not some hyper-sensitive dip-stick.

Bring on the dragway!

The guns are noisy, but they only go for an hour or so at a time, not all weekend every weekend.
The other morning the guns were on, and in our house it was as if someone was throwing wardrobes around in the next room.

re: goulburn dragway argument
Problem is any ‘quality’ dragway needs a traction prepped surface, this is incompatible with circuit racing, so a full new surface would need to be installed, and there isn’t really the room out there to do it without flattening a few hills.

Does anyone get woken up by the gun clubs or the military firing range in watson etc? surely the spikes of noise from the big guns (the ones with wheels on the sides) would be louder than the dragway?

Read watson as Inner North – distracted at work dammit.

I would suggest a flat dry part of lake george – maybe do some land reclaiming to build the site – hay – it is already fully surrounded by mountains for a natural sound barrier but this would all be in vain as Watson people would claim it is too close and noisy.

“Bring on the dragway!”

I second the motion. Bring on the dragway!

Vic Bitterman9:01 pm 14 Jun 06

Bring on the dragway!

Martin, in the read the report it says, 12,000 instances of 70dbA for aircraft versus 170 for drags. AND that is for the very worst dragway event. Most of the events will not have that level of noise at nearby residences. As a proportion the amount of noise is small. What are the nearby residences doing to shut-down the airport then?

The big diff between aircraft and dragways though is the number of noise instances. There simply aren’t a huge number of big planes flying in or out of Canberra. I understand though that dragway events will run a race every one to five minutes. That seems to be a big difference to me.

Ant, maybe seepi can answer the question. I have downloaded the document he/she posted above. It says some very detailed things about the maximum allowable noise like on page 30,

“The adjusted Laeq, 15 min must not exceed 65dBA at more than 5 residences.” Where are these residences? The nearby farmhouses? Or:

“Noise insulation must be installed at all residences where the adjusted Laeq,15min exceeds 65dba……” or:

“The noise barrier must be built to a minimum height of 10m…” anmd where modelling says noise will exceed 65dbA higher noise barriers to be considered.

The report also seems to indicate that with these measures in place, the amount of noise would be less than the peak aircraft noise of 70dba at nearby residences (page 7) and have less events: 12,000 aircraft compared to 170 dragraces.

Again where are these residences? watson, Campbell.

With these protections in place the amount of annoyance would decrease to what is considred moderate annoyance, indoors, during the day/evening. Same as for aircrafts.

Absent Diane4:21 pm 14 Jun 06

it could be… but to tell the truth I was just sick of writing the word dwag… sorry drag…

AD – is that a special facility for those drivers with a speech impediment?

Absent Diane3:41 pm 14 Jun 06

I am sure goulburn would be excited by the prospect of a dwagway

I’m neither pro or anti. I have reservations about the gummint funding it and I also have reservations about any ‘burb having different noise restrictions to others. Seems a tad unfair.

A motor sport mad workmate had the following suggestion – it’s probably been mentioned in previously but I hadn’t seen it.

Why not upgrade Wakefield Park? It’s an hour away. Is already used by revheads on a frequent basis. Has a very long straight that could be modified by building an extension used as the start point. Goulburn could use the business.

Left field?

Pandy, I used to live 2 to 3 kms from the old Dragway. Sorry dragway people: I was one of the directly affected people, and you can take to the bank that the ones who still live there have written VERY detailed submissions to the noise people regarding the proposed new dragway.

It’s really interesting how the pro-dragway people can just write-off the misery caused to residents by their proposed playground. Don’t let peoples’ comfort in their own homes get in the way of fun activities.

Build it when the pro-dragway lobby can prove that the thing is going to pay for itself, instead of expecting the ACT taxpayer to fund the thing.

From recollection the pro-dragway group wanted a site in the south but none could be found so it ended up in the Majura Valley – positioning the thing was always going to be a Governmnet responsibility either directly or by default because even if the dragway bods were going to pay cash for a lease they’d want one that could have a dragway on it – which is essentailly a planning decision. The prefered site obviously meets all the necessary requirements, so all that needs to be done now is trot through the consultation process to let the watermelons vent their poisonous bile and then get on with building the thing.

nimbys always dissemble. fact doesnt matter in their debates. they always try and personalise it – that way there can be a villain to focus their angst upon.

and id be happy to have a dragway within spitting distance.

Mr Evil, oh but I did go to school. Just not one that placed an unnecessary burden upon the tax paying public because of its sheer unsustainability. I went to University to – but I paid for that myself.

So, Bonfire, you’re in favour of them not increasing the decibel levels in Watson?

And, in fact, you agree with Seepi about this (minor) point?

So we can move on?

Please?

. The noise report above (the first one, which is up for comment until today) states that there will be an average level of 80DB throughout my suburb from 9AM to 9PM

OK, I’m confused, where does it say this? The first document donesn’t list sound levels at all, it just talks about the sound credits system and the second one says :

Based on the noise levels shown in Table 5, it appears that the adjusted LAeq,15min at the nearest residence to Block 52 was likely to be approximately:
• 75dBA for International events
• 70dBA for Regional events
• 50dBA for Local events.
Based on these estimates, 1 International/National event, 7 Regional events and 26
Local events would require 33 credits. This number of credits could be justified given the relatively isolated location and local exposure to aircraft noise.

And that’s for people the wrong side of the mountain.

they did that so you would have a petty little point to focus and obsess on.

If the noise in Watson will be non-existent, then why has the EPA rewritten the ACT noise protection act to allow average noise levels of 75DB is Watson, during dragway events?

Big Al, just because you never felt the overwhelming need to go to school, it doesn’t mean that it’s a good idea for everybody else to follow in your footsteps.

After all, the people who design things like the dragway and the vehicles that propel themselves at great speed down a dragway have most likely been to school, and later to university. 😉

Ant you live in the ACT or on the Ridgeway (I remeber most complaints came from them). I suggest that they place the dragway on the otherside of Queanbeyan. As everyone is telling us the core supporters live in NSW.

Look I am never going to go to a drag meet. Dragway is boring. But I do believe that the dragway people should be compensated for having their facility closed down. Don’t agree? However, I agree that there is a place for bogans to gather, just as there is a place for dudes to gather for skiing in national parks.

As for noise, the noise in Watson will be non-existent. As I previously said, all of the sky is falling complainets for the V8 supercars never eventuated. Even with the noise recording instruments they had around the event (I saw them) beyond the bounds of the Parliamentary Triangle and definetley in Campell, you could hardly hear that there was a car event on.

Lawnmowers are 80DB – that’s why a lot of people wear ear phones while mowing. They are only 80 DB for the person standing right next to them. The noise report above (the first one, which is up for comment until today) states that there will be an average level of 80DB throughout my suburb from 9AM to 9PM. That means all through the suburb, with peaks of noise which are much higher than 80DB. On Mt Majura the average will be 100 DB, making it a no go zone for the public during dragway events. – If you can make another conclusion from the EPA noise policy then please do – one of my objections to the noise report is that you need to be practically a scientist to understand it. – and in fact noise experts have refuted the techniques used in this report to calculate noise. It also contravenes World Health Best Practice for noise pollution of residential areas. (There you go – mentioning them should give you another fun target!)

Absent Diane10:32 am 14 Jun 06

i don’t want to see a dragway –
a) Car racing is exceedingly boring (though the engineering of the cars is pretty good) and it create a place somewhere other mooseheads that bogans can congregate (sp) and share their boganish ideals and spread the word
b) Why should the rev heads get a place when a large percentage of live music establishments get shutdown for noise complaints.
c) Car racing is exceedingly boring

From reading these and other pro-dragway comments, it seems that the pro-dragway people want to heap scorn on those with objections, and shout down any opposition to the dragway.

There were complaints about the previous dragway. I know there were! I made some of them. We lived, with many other families, about 2 or 3 km from the old dragway. The noise was horrific. I’m talking about cold, hard experience here, not theory.

The problem is not with “local hoons” using the dragway. The problem is with the major events (of which there were an awful lot in the last years of the dragway). The noise generated from those major events was just unbelieveable. The hills might have acted as a sound-shell, making the noise louder or carry further, I don’t know. Fact is though, many residents were affected, and complaining did stuff-all.

This was not nuisence noise, this was brutally loud noise. In peoples’ houses, in their back yards, when they were studying or holding BBQs or the myriad other things Canberrans do on their weekends at home.

It wasn’t until the airport was bought out by a private company that the dragway was shut down, for the company’s own reasons.

As for “nimbys”, I’d say that the dragway proponents are also nimbys. Why don’t they propose sites that are nearer to their backyards? Rather than plastering their cars with bumper stickers and harassing the government for a dragway, why don’t they identify sites and do a bit of fundraising and sponsorship-sourcing?

I guess that with an investment in a dragway the government might be able to argue that there is potential for an economic return to the Territory through people coming from elsewhere to burn up rubber – as opposed to funding shit like hospitals and schools that simple drain money from the public purse.

I am not really against a dragway per se, but I do resent that we are all going to help pay for this facility at the same time that we are being told by Stanhope and Co that we are living beyond our means, and that other more important services in this city are to be cut or lose Govt. funding.

If they want a dragway, maybe the lobbyists should organise the financial backing to build the thing themselves?

Chris, I suspect that in a subtle way your kind of the pot calling the kettle black – just doing it with more refined eloquence than I could be fagged wasting on this lot. If I get you’re post you’re essentially disinclined to give any weight to an argument that dismisses an opposing argument as NIMBYism, by – dismissing it.

One of the wonderful attributes of the NIMBY device is that it’s a bloody hard one to rebut – people are often genuinely not opposed to an activity per se, but they are worried about what impact it might have if it went ahead near their home – so they’re NIMBYs. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a perfectly legitimate position to take – just one that’s pretty hard to defend, given that in an urban context everyone, sooner or later, is going to end up with something that they aren’t particularly fond of on they’re doorstep – it’s a fact of life.

Am I playing the man and not the ball – possibly. Are these people deserving of our ridicule – absolutely.

Although I don’t agree with seepi about the extent of adverse impacts of the dragway, I think a few of you are attacking the player, not the ball. As soon as an opponent or proponent trots out the old “NIMBY” tag, I take the view that they have run out of logic and are falling back on the vilification process to win an argument.

Seepi and anyone else who thinks they will be adversely affected by a proposal has the right (I would say obligation) to at least state their objections, and to do what they think is necessary to influence the decision-makers. That is their prerogative.

Also, not all cases can be based on fact, as often we simply don’t know what the impact will be until it happens, and if it’s worse than the proponents have been stating, then it is all too late. Also, proponents don’t always release all the facts – they’ll put into the public domain only what they want known.

Evidence-based arguments are therefore difficult to mount, but at least they need to be logical and reasonable.

I think seepi has been both; some of the letters to the editor of the CT have not, which diminishes the argument.

One of the great strengths of RA is that it allows a forum for airing of different views, and to have those views tested. So, guys, don’t just leap into the “NIMBY” vilification ditch – argue the case and let’s see how the logic stacks up.

And lets not to forget that North Canberra Community Council was not open to public meetings: until they were forced to because their government funding would have been cut otherwise. How did they operate? Well all the three person interest groups could only send a rep to the Council meetings. Hardly democratic. And houw many prople are on the books of all of these resident groups and council? Probably around 50 to 100 no more. But they wont tell you because that could hurt their lobbying power with the government.

And lets not forget the embarresment that the council caused by issuing a press release saying how the Chief Minister had refused to attend their meeting, before the meeting was held! No wonder they are a joke within ….. well it is no longer CMD is it? Of course the debacle with Anne Forrest and Central Canberra Community Council was legendary. How many knifes in the back resulted from that debacle.

And look at their opposition to airport noise issues. What with all the noise studies publically available on the airport website, showing flight paths and how little noise there is over north Canberra, they still bitch about “duh chillldren” (best South Park impression).

For Gods sake I used to have helicopters fly 30m above my house but I put-up with it because it was once a day and usually for emergency flights. unlike my neighbour whoe would chase the birds from their roof because of the noise.

So what am I getting to? Oh yes, residents in Watson will hardly hear the drag races. Any other statement is farcical.

And as all the political commentators are saying, the dragway is a vote changer. School closures are not. I agree with them.

My lawn mower has a sticker on it saying that it puts out 80 something dBA – should we ban lawn mowers? Or maybe just ban them in the more gentile suburbs perhaps.

This is a non issue. I bet it’s pretty much the same pathetic coterie of watermelon shit-bags that we’ve come to expect from the inner north who peddle their weird interpretation of reality on the rest of the community – it’s like pissing down the back of someone’s shirt and telling them that it’s actually raining.

One of the sad things about these consultative processes is the playground politics employed by the extreme green left – they always think that its some sort of vote – that the more submissions you get in will somehow create an overwhelming burden of moral authority – when all that happens with these ‘campaign’ letters is that some poor sap in the department responsible has to log the bloody things and cut’n paste “objects to the proposal in general terms” into the field marked “specific issues raised in submission”.

On a lighter note, I heard some poor dim-wit on the radio after the budget announcement that the dragway would proceed working herself into a hysterical lather – I bet all those NIMBY watermelons all went to bed on budget eve with their warm cocoa and smug-arsed superiority dreaming of how the dragway would be history and there’d be more money in the budget for primary schools to run programmes to educate our children about the challenges faced by low income homosexual Muslim extremist families trying to protect wales. What did they get – a dragway and closed schools – sucked in losers.

Also where does it say that they would be creating 100 dBA of sound? according to the second document you posted the hard limit for any sound ever from the dragway would be 85 dBA, but they think that the most the indicative program would cause would be 75 dBA (8 times a year).

Um seepi, according to the document you posted:

during the 6 years of operation of the previous dragway, there were no complaints from any of the residents in the vicinity of the dragway, due to drag racing events.” This is consistent with advice we have received from Environment ACT stating that there is no record of any formal complaint concerning drag racing noise, although there was one complaint concerning music noise from a concert at the dragway late at night.

Fairbairn Park was the race course not the dragway, so maybe you want to get you “HARD COLD FACTS” right before you get all nibmy at people and yell at them.

Also looking at that document there might be one event a year where most of the cars would be in anything but the quietest of the 4 classes, with another 7 with 15%, the rest would only have street cars. Oh no one loudish event a year… won’t somebody think of the children.

Vic Bitterman9:15 pm 13 Jun 06

Hahahahaha laughing so hard at seepi!!!!!!!!!

That waws only once a year. Also, it can’t have been as loud as this dragway is slated to be, because the ACT’s noise laws didn’t have to be altered specially, in order for it to go ahead. the very fact that the government has had to rewrite the ACT noise policy to make the dragway viable should be a warning bell to anyone. If they can rewrite this law to suit their current purpose and noone complains, then they can rewrite anythign – and next time it could be your area that is affected.
Once the dragway is there, it will be too late to realise that it really is much more noisy than anything that should be allowed to affect the suburbs.

What about all that noise from the V8Supercars affecting Campbell and Yarralumla residents?

Never was more than a murmour.

seepi – p10 says that there were no complaints.

thanks for the link.

time for your warm milk and hot water bottle now isnt it.

bonfire I’ve given you the link to the report that says there were heaps of complaints about the previous dragway, and even the page number.
What part of that HARD COLD FACT is my interpretation?
And don’t worry – I am actually planning to leave Canberra if this dragway happens.

seepi – no one cares about your nimby interpretations.

send me your address and i’ll post you some earplugs.

It is a myth that there were not complaints about the previous dragway’s noise.

No complaints about previous dragway:

“Over the years, there have been numerous complaints about the effects of

noise from Fairbairn Park’s activities on the residential area on the

Ridgeway, as well as on Oaks Estate and, occasionally, northern parts of

Queanbeyan’s residential areas.p 13 govt scoping report.

http://www.cmd.act.gov.au/actdragway/documents/noisepolicyadvice/dragwaynoisepolicyadvice_marshalldayacoustics.pdf
– And if this dragway wasn’t going to drastically increase noise in the inner north, the government EPA woulnd’t have to increase allowable noise levels in the inner north to allow the project to proceed.

Ok, I have ben sitting tight on this, waiting to read everyones response. Now Ill cross post an email I recieved pro dragway. Make of it what you will, But I for one am for a dragway – if only to get the riff raff off the streets. I worked also at RAAF Fairbairn during drag racing events and noted the noise levels exceeded that of normal, butit was not any worse than the aeroplanes that fly overhead. In fact it is of my opinion that it will be far less in duration and decibels. To say that drag races in fairbarn valley will adversely hinder conversations/wake up children/people on the other side of the mountain is absolutely ludicrous. In any case, have a read.

G’day everyone,
Time to get things sent to the Government.

The first submission is about the environment.
Not hard, but it’s the big deal because Canberra is a “quiet excitement” place and our main opponents will go in strongly on the environment.

IT IS DUE BY 14th JUNE 2006 !!!
the address is

Environment Protection Authority
Environment ACT
PO Box 144
Lyneham ACT 2602

This is our case, and the facts – when sending submissions, please use these points.

Include any more you can think of, especially if you have any personal/family/friends experience (lived in Pialligo, Campbell, Duntroon etc. during the old dragway’s time).

1. Canberra International Dragway operated for 22 years, from 1976 until 1998 without any noise complaints. All classes of drag racing vehicles ran at the old track, including Fuel Funny cars, dragsters, jet-cars, Top Fuel Bikes and all other categories of competition vehicles.

2. The old dragway did not have any sound limiting barriers. The embankments were for spectator viewing and even with these insignificant measures, sound levels were reduced in surrounding residential areas.

The new dragway will have full sound limiting mounds exceeding the latest recommended specifications, not because of the actual sound output from racing, but more because of some people’s fear of drag racing being uncomfortable for them.

The Mt Majura/Mt Ainslie ridge provides a significant barrier to any sound output from a dragway in the Majura valley.

Drag racing is about fun, but also being responsible and co operative with others.

3. For the technically minded. The sound of drag racing (because of predominantly V8s, exhaust header style, fuel types, carbys, superchargers, acceleration loads etc) has a low, flat sound frequency profile. The volume is easily absorbed by earth mounds, the ground beneath, trees, (fan’s eardrums!) etc. Our sound is unlike, say, Formula 1 or V8 Supercars where there is a constant high pitch of noise due to engine types, high RPMs over a long time.

Drag racing sound/volume/accoustics is of short duration and easily absorbed by surrounding mounds, buildings, trees etc.

4. Major dragways in Australia have not had any ongoing noise complaints and there are houses a lot closer than those in Canberra.

Other dragways in Australia do not have the benefit of a mountain ridge separating them from residential areas.

All dragways in Australia are monitored by independent accoustic agencies who report directly to the state Environment Protection Authorities.

5. Canberra dragway will be located beneath the flight path of Canberra airport. There is already a substantial noise output from aircraft movements. Dragway operations will not substantially add to the frequency of noise from the area.
We do not say that there is noise there already, so a bit more won’t matter.

90+% of dragway operation will be with street cars/bikes and this will not add any more noise to the area at all. Competition meetings may be recognised at a distance as racing, but not because of the sound volume. Just the different type of sound.

Any complaints in the future will be more about prejudice against the activity than discomfort or inconvenience.

6. The sound is basically limited to the immediate arena. It is loud and exciting, but I have never left a big meet deaf with my ears ringing. Unlike a rock concert.

Landscape environment.

There will be increased sealed area because of the dragway, pits, access roads, building roofs etc. Because Canberra is very dry, this can be a good thing. There will be more rainwater catchment due to dragway infrastructure. There will be catchment ponds to prevent erosion towards Woolshed Creek. These ponds can and will be used for environmental projects on the dragway site.

Trees provide both shelter and shade for spectators and also a sound absorption measure. Dragways throughout Australia endeavour to provide park-like facilities for patron’s comfort and enjoyment and also environmental responsibility. It makes no sense to have spectators standing in a hot desert with no shade and expect them to be happy and comfortable.

Canberra International Dragway will cooperate with local tree planting groups to turn what is now barren, degaded, cleared land into an area of original plant species and re-greening.

OK. That’s about it for now, without getting bogged in the detail.

DUE – 14th JUNE 2006.

Mark all letters DRAGWAY SUBMISSION. on the outside.

There is no reference to an email address. They are asking for “written submissions”.

This means lick a stamp and post it !!!

If you can’t be bothered posting a letter (??), send your submission to actdragway@act.gov.au and put “Dragway Environment Submission” in the subject line. I don’t know how it will go, but if there are a lot, the Government will have to count them in.

ANY QUESTIONS?? – we’re here to help. No bull. Just ask.

cheers

Mark

The people of Pialligo had the dragway built long after they were in situ, and never got a whiff of anything like compensation, or noise mitigation, or anything. So beware. Rights are funny things: sometimes you have em, and sometimes you appear not to.

Well maybe not “nobody” as some will bitch and moan about anything but at least a vastly reduced amount of complaining

I’m sure if the noise limitations applied to vehicles on Nthbne Ave were applied to drag vehicles nobody would be complaining about the dragway.

why dont we close down northborne ave as well cos of all the noise trucks and cars cause.

if the dragway was in kooweerup you wouldnt care.

nimby.

I want the same protection against noise that everyone else in this city has. That’s why I’m upset that the EPA is specifically making an exception out of my suburb (and others nearby), to allow much louder noise levels than anywhere else, or ever previousely in Canberra. Which is what the report above is all about. It isn’t a petition – it is a report from our government. The dragway has supporters – mostly they don’t live anywhere near where it is going to go. As I keep saying, it is 3km (walking distance) from my house. There are 26 rural properties right next to it in the valley. It is dreadful that the previous dragway owner got no compensation – but these 26 properties won’t get any either when they have to move after the dragway goes in.

so they don’t feel the need to misbehave on the street…

… and if that means they do it in the inner north rather than in Kambah it’s go my support!

i miss fraser park too.

ahhh the good old days.

The dragway at Fairbairn was a salutary example in why such facilities need to be set up openly, with full consultation, not sneakily.

The original dragway was a small affair, it wasn’t terribly noisy, and seemed to be used mainly by locals. A bit of engine rev noise, but it was tolerable.

Then, they upgraded it, and suddenly they were hosting international standard events, and the noise went through the roof.

We lived near it, and it was a total shock. The volume was unbelievable. There seemed to be no limit on how many events they could hold, what times they went til… and often there was rock bands and all-night festivities. plus the patrons on their harleys and noise-enhanced cars going up and down the road all night.

The upgrade was not flagged with nearby residents, first we knew of it was this shocking noise. Much, much louder than aeroplanes. You could actually feel the shockwave of the sound sometimes.

Once it’s built, it’s fait accompli. You need to make adjustments to it before it is set up. Now is the time to be involved in the process because once it’s done, it’ll be all too difficult.

I’d suggest some fast awareness-raising among those affected!

Unfortunately it seems this issue is getting a bit emotive for people. It’s time to step back and get the facts. How far is it from residential housing. What is the noise really? Will the dragway be used mainly for street cars, or will the meets be for drag cars only? I am all for giving our resident hoons a place to play, so they don’t feel the need to misbehave on the street…

Bear in mind that all this came about because the dragway at Fairbairn was closed down, with no compensation paid to the owners for the “improvements” made to the site.

The ACT govt has at least a moral obligation to put the dragway enthusiasts back to where they were before.

I shan’t be signing your petition; is anyone doing one in support of the dragway?

You can’t overstate the noise from this thing. It’ll be much worse than a race track. It’s not the constant rev of engines. It’s more like an explosion of noise, much louder than a race track. I love the sneaky way they call for comments too. It’s obvious they don’t want any.

it will be so loud and constant your cardigans wont get the chance to dry.

if you want total silence why live in a city ?

James-T-Kirk4:03 pm 13 Jun 06

I’m all for scientific testing. Lets put it in and see what happens.

(Ducks for cover)

That is actualy not true (unless you know the decibell rating of the pocket bikes). 80 decibells is predicted for my street, in the govt report cited above. This is described as the noise level of a bus passing a pedestrian on the street, and totally drowning out conversation. I’m sure it will get a bit wearing all weekened…Mt Majura nature park will have average noise levels of 100 decibells, with spikes of noise that are much louder, all day on weekends.
None of this is my opinion, or anecdotal, it is all taken directly from the govt reports.

Personally, I couldn’t care less whether we had a dragway or not. It’s not my thing. But noise pollution???? Give me a break, it’s practically in the middle of no-where, and ends at 9pm. The dickheads who ride their pocket bikes down my street in Melba make more noise.

This is a silly reason not to have one.

you really overegg your case when you raise “immense noise pollution it will create on weekends between 9AM-9PM” when it is unlikely to be anything like that at all.

and throwing the ‘school closing’ canard in doesnt really help either. why spend money on meals on wheels when that can go to keeping a school open.

i recall the same moronic anecdotal arguments raised in respect to summernats noise. when the epa placed noise meters around downer and dickson the loudest noises they registered were crows and galahs.

of course evidence like this is conveniently ignored by the nimby antidragway people.

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