CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
After 85 years of a completely free-reign over the sound levels in inner-city Sydney, the Harbour Bridge has today been issued a final warning, by a nearby residents association, as well as the police, city council and state government.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge, as it is more commonly known, is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district (CBD) and the North Shore – two of the most densely populated urban regions of Australia.
After being forced to soundproof the entire steel structure as well as the road and pylons with dark acoustic damping tiles used for sound absorption, in an effort to lower noise levels for baby boomers who decided to retire in the city and can’t stand the inner-city ambience of live music and traffic.
“It’s just uneccessary,” said one resident who enjoys walking her dog at 5 pm and watching BBC murder mysteries until 8 pm before going to sleep.
“Two people have crashed and died on that bridge in the last eighteen months. It’s about time the government did something”
The inner-city resident’s committee say this is a good start, but a lot more can be done to help them further the value of their investment property nest eggs by summoning complete silence on an international state capital that’s entire economy depends on elderly residents selling property to foreign buyers who don’t like noise.
The Harbour Bridge has been told it will be allowed to operate past midnight, providing they can keep noise to a respectable level, or risk breaching their probationary license and face fines of up to $30,000 per unruly motorist.
Further west, residents who are being kicked out of their homes to make way for motorways that help centralise the already overpopulated city say they are amazed at how organised the inner-city residents are.
“It’s amazing how they can manage to shut down an entire city” said one suburban resident who’s heritage-listed house has just been demolished for a motorway.
“We can’t even get in a room with anyone. Maybe I’m part of the wrong church?”
