Residents driven ‘crazy’ by construction stuff socks in shaking toaster

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Residents have fled their homes and stuffed socks in a toaster to stop it shaking off the kitchen bench as frustration grows about construction work on a major freeway upgrade in Sydney’s north.

Richard Curtin and his neighbours on Bray Street in North Sydney have complained of disturbance from “horrific” construction noise, vibrations and parking woes since work on the Warringah Freeway overhaul began metres from their homes several months ago.

Basil Newnham’s house backs onto the Warringah Freeway. He says noise from the concrete cutter that operates about 20 metres from his children’s bedrooms has reached 80 decibels inside his house, which was built in the 1800s. Credit: Brook Mitchell

“They start [out-of-hours works] on Thursday night and go until Monday morning. One Friday night I managed two hours of sleep; the Saturday morning I packed up and went to stay with family.

“This is only the start of the project; we’ve got two more years of this,” Curtin said.

Their frustrations are replicated in other lower north shore suburbs as the NSW government pushes ahead with a $1.1 billion upgrade of Australia’s busiest road between North Sydney and Naremburn.

Transport for NSW says the upgrades, due for completion in 2026, to a four-kilometre stretch of the freeway will help meet future demand and accommodate tunnels for the Western Harbour Tunnel.

Basil Newnham, whose almost 200-year-old sandstone house abuts the freeway, said the vibrations from the roadworks had driven his family to stuff socks between the glass shelves in their fridge to stop them rattling, and inside their toaster to stop it shaking off the kitchen bench overnight.

“The vibrations are causing [another neighbour’s] kitchen cupboards to peel off the walls,” Newnham said.

Curtin said residents had been exposed to the “sound of jackhammers, saws, excavators, the beeping of excavators reversing, constant yelling, two-way radios, orange strobe lights”. He said one couple in the street went to stay with their daughter, or on their boat, when night works were scheduled.

“We as residents don’t feel we should have to go to these lengths to live in our own homes. We’re not opposed to the works, we’re opposed to the way they’re conducting themselves,” Curtin said.

Work on the freeway upgrade and Western Harbour Tunnel won’t be completed until 2026.Credit: Brook Mitchell

Francisca Silva said her family had been offered vouchers, sleep masks and one-off alternative accommodation as respite for the around-the-clock works that occur up to 10 nights per month.

“We can’t sleep, it’s impossible. My younger [child] is waking up five times a night. I’m going crazy. I love my house, I love my street but I just can’t live here any more.”

North Sydney councillor MaryAnn Beregi said the “massive” disruption, and the “relentless and ongoing” nature of the works had harmed residents’ mental health.

Some residents met with Transport for NSW last month to voice their concerns that the agency and the project’s joint venture contractors, CPB Contractors and Downer EDI Works, were not complying with approval conditions relating to noise levels and monitoring, notification of works, and parking.

North Sydney Mayor Zoe Baker, who attended the meeting, has written to Roads Minister John Graham requesting an urgent meeting to discuss the impact of construction along the corridor.

“All [residents] described noise far greater than that permitted under the development consent and the impacts of that noise on their sleep and amenity,” Baker says in the letter.

Transport for NSW said it had not breached its conditions of approval for the freeway project, and said the agency and contractors had plans in place to manage construction noise and vibrations.

A spokesman said some Bray Street residents had taken up offers for glazing on windows and doors, and others had accepted sleep audio masks.

“Transport continues to work closely with the local community at every stage of the project to ensure we minimise any impacts of construction,” the spokesman said.

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