ANNOYED residents on Wollert’s Hume Freeway corridor have had enough with the inaction of public amenity maintenance, with one resident requesting imminent changes, saying that the area presents a significant fire risk next to multiple blocks of houses.
Photos seen by The Whittlesea Review highlight out of control weeds growing on the Galada-Tamboree pathway on the Hume Freeway corridor on Paior Crescent, with resident Justin Mastroianni voicing his frustration over the lack of control which has led to snake sightings near residential homes, as well as an imminent fire risk.
An email sent in by Mr Mastroianni, seen by The Whittlesea Review, said the management of the road was unacceptable.
“Currently, this precinct poses an extreme bushfire risk due to severely overgrown grass and vegetation,” the email read.
“Furthermore, the unchecked overgrowth has now created an active and immediate danger to pedestrians, with multiple recent snake sightings reported along the pathway.
“This presents an unacceptable, life-threatening risk to the children, families, and pets who use this public infrastructure daily. Alongside these severe safety threats, the area has been entirely neglected, accumulating significant amounts of rubbish, and becoming a hotspot for vandalism.
“Astoundingly, I have recently observed crews dispatched to this exact location to paint over graffiti on a freeway barrier.
“The fact that cosmetic, aesthetic repairs are being prioritized and funded while an extreme, life-threatening bushfire and snake hazard is completely ignored is beyond unacceptable. It demonstrates a staggering failure of priorities by the responsible authorities.
“It is my understanding that VicRoads resumed direct responsibility for vegetation maintenance contracts for this area at the end of 2023. Since that transition occurred, there appears to have been an absolute cessation of maintenance.
“The complete lack of vegetation management over the past months is not just an administrative oversight; it is a gross failure to deliver basic, essential public services, directly endangering the Wollert community.”
Mr Mastroianni, in a follow-up email, confirmed that he had received immediate responses from the CFA Chief Officer and Fire Rescue Victoria, while requests to the City of Whittlesea were closed.
“It is damning that the emergency responders—the men and women who will have to risk their lives to save our homes when this neglected vegetation inevitably catches fire—are the only ones treating this with the urgency it requires. They are doing their job. The State Government is not,” he wrote.
Mr Mastroianni has requested that VicRoads start an emergency slashing and mowing process, a site clean-up and unveiling maintenance schedule transparency as part of his desire to see the road and path cleaned up.
VicRoads, and the Department of Transport and Planning, was contacted for comment.