Unease persists over vibrations

Resident Helena Cromb said 160 trees were removed in January 2012 from the road’s median strip, which residents believed had been the cause.

The tree roots had not been removed and could potentially be a leading cause of road vibrations.

However, in the past six months, multiple cracks had appeared in her front lounge room and rather than investigating the cause, the City had planned to re-plant spotted gum (Corymbia Maculata) trees along the strip.

A group of residents were concerned the City had planned to re-plant the same trees, before providing them with answers.

Canning Commissioner Linton Reynolds said the City would continue to investigate the cause of the vibrations and to eradicate them where possible.

‘It is our understanding that the vibration residents are experiencing is a reflection of traffic volumes, the weight of the passing traffic and the speed at which traffic is travelling in close proximity to residential homes in the area,’ he said.

‘Some of the houses along Manning Road are built on limestone foundations, unlike more recent housing built on reinforced concrete slabs.

‘The original trees, which were moved in 2012, were a mixture of species and some of them were planted on top of the old road alignment and their roots were unable to penetrate the underlying limestone layer.’

Ms Cromb said the City had not acknowledged the root system and was not prepared to take any responsibility for damage to their homes.

‘We are not prepared to see more trees planted until we know why the cracks are happening in our walls,’ she said.

‘The traffic is the same along Leach Highway, so if it is a matter of traffic movement, we want to know why residents along the highway are not experiencing vibration.’

The re-planting along Manning Road will begin this month.