Welcome news has been announced by Member for Bayswater, Jackson Taylor, for residents of Bayswater North around Bungalook Road East, with Metro Trains Melbourne (MTM) ballast yard works set to be phased out over the coming months. 

This is coupled with a full clean-up of the site and roadside by both MTM and Maroondah City Council, following illegal rubbish dumping taking place on the site. 

For years, residents of Bayswater North, have been grappling with round the clock noise and dust caused by trucks transporting ballast – the rocks that go underneath railway lines – to railway line upgrades happening throughout the southeast. 

Following this issue being raised to him by locals, Mr. Taylor has been working on their behalf with Minister for Public Transport, Melissa Horne, to see the site wrap up works. 

Recently, Mr. Taylor’s advocacy was successful, with Minister Horne confirming that the site will be phased out of usage over the coming months with works outside of hours stopping immediately. 

Alongside the issue of the railyard noise and dust, locals have also raised concerns around illegal rubbish dumping on this site and the roadway, with people sometimes pulling trailers up to dump household and hard rubbish. 

This kind of disgraceful behaviour doesn’t only make our neighbourhood look terrible – but it’s incredibly detrimental to our natural environment, with the Dandenong Creek biodiversity corridor running close by. 

Mr. Taylor has been working closely with both the Minister and Maroondah Council to see the area receive a full clean up, which will include mulching works and replanting of trees by Council. Council will also be installing bollards to curb this illegal behaviour. 

Alongside this, as a result of working closely with the Council, Mr. Taylor is able to confirm Council have agreed to further strategies for this section of roadway to stop illegal behaviour. 

This includes installing traffic calming measures within the section that abuts residential properties, following designs to commence mid-year, installing warning signs regarding travel speed and illegal dumping as part of the traffic calming measures, installing hidden CCTV on a periodic basis to help curb hoon and rubbish dumping behaviour and further dust suppression works before next summer. 

Further to this, MTM have further secured the metal swing out gate – which stops access to that site and are now installing secure casing to go around the padlock. This will help to stop any further break-ins where the padlock is cut off the gate to gain entry.

Quotes attributable to Member for Bayswater Jackson Taylor 

“Since receiving inquiries from many locals in this area, I was determined to see a positive outcome that has proven hard to date.” 

“I am pleased to have been able to work constructively with Minister Horne and Maroondah Council to get these common-sense results for locals.” 

“I thank not only Minister Horne and the Council, but all locals who’ve come forward to make their voices heard. Listening and achieving these outcomes is such an important part of my job as local MP.”