Yet again, out of hours construction work is taking place on the Hutchinson Builders high-rise site atop Chatswood Station. Yesterday (Sunday Sept 21) the operation of heavy machinery (high-rise cranes and associated works) commenced at7am, waking and disturbing residents, and continued until (after dark) 6.30pm.This is not an unusual occurrence and follows more than a week of illegal 5.50am starts involving the operation of both heavy cranes on this site.

This site has been subject of frequent and on-going illegal hours-of-work activity over a long period. The concerns of residents living in the vicinity of the site (including those in Albert, Victor, Parkside and Johnson Streets) are seemingly ignored by Council and trampled by this developer/builder.

Experience has demonstrated that it is  waste of time reporting these activities through the recommended channels. Whenever I have called Council’s out-of-hours number, rangers have subsequently been turned away from the site or had a piece of paper waved at them claiming council approved exemption from normal hours of work – often under the dubious guise of certain work only able to be undertaken on Sundays.

Last Tuesday (Sept 16) I used the Council’s on-line service to lodge a complaint about the dawn starts. No response! From where I live I can see six high rise construction sites and eight cranes. By and large all the other sites seem to comply with the regulations. Why not the Hutchinson Builders site?

This problem finally needs to be addressed.

Why, if it is indeed the case, is permission granted for this site to be allowed to operate heavy and noisy machinery so frequently prior to 7am Mon-Sats and anytime – let alone 7am – on Sundays? Or, if permission is not being given, why is this site not forced to comply with the regulations set down so that neighbouring residents can at least enjoy amenity and some peace outside the stipulated hours of work. As this is an on-going disturbance to residents I am bringing it to the attention of West Ward Councillors, the West Ward Progress Association and North Shore Times.