When government minister Danny Pearson told journalists the government had been closely engaging with the community over the new Keon Park skyrail station, a tirade from two residents in front of the cameras was not quite what he meant.
Angered by how close the new elevated rail line and station is to high-rise apartments in Reservoir, Angela Villella and Goran Torbakov berated the minister as he arrived to spruik the opening of the 50th upgraded station under the Labor Government’s Level Crossing Removal Program.
“Minister, you should be coming to check out the place, will you?” demanded Ms Villella, pointing towards her apartment, just metres away.
“This would not happen in a Liberal seat.
“This happened because it’s a safe Labor seat and shame on you, shame on you!” she said.
“Rather than putting your spin on the station, you should come and see how these residents are living,” said Mr Torbakov.
“We are not opposed to the station.
“All we’ve asked the minister and the state is to do something about our privacy and noise. Everything has fallen on deaf ears,” they said.
Ms Villella and Mr Torbakov are two of hundreds of residents living in apartment buildings on Johnson Street, on the on the border of Reservoir and Thomastown.
When they bought their homes opposite the rail line, trains passed below and the station was more than 100 metres down the road.
As part of the Level Crossing Removal Program, the line and station have been elevated, with trains passing within metres of their balconies and frequent loud speaker service announcements outside their windows.
Mr Pearson is the Transport Infrastructure Minister and says the plans for the new station have been on display since 2022.
“We’ve been honest and upfront with the community that, look, this is what we’re going to have to do and this is where we’re going to do it,” Mr Pearson said.
ABC
