Rocks make nature strips a hard place to hoon

BUSINESS owners have started to install rocks on nature strips in a desperate deterrence ploy against hoon drivers in an industrial estate in Fiveways Boulevard, Keysborough.
James Kerr III, who runs Red Roo Commercial Environmental Equipment, said a rock had been placed in front of a telephone exchange hub, which had been damaged by a wayward car on 11 October.
As reported in the Journal last week, the crash cost businesses thousands of dollars as they waited four days for the restoration of their phone and internet services.
Adding to the cost, one of those businesses was burgled while its security system was offline.
Last Monday, a tree was flattened by an errant driver – adding to a toll of 15 previously crushed trees.
For the past 13 years, drivers have caused mayhem on the scenic estate’s circuit of wide flat roads, soft gutters, sweeping bends and landscaped roundabouts.
“They come mainly when it rains. The roundabouts don’t stop them; they encourage them. With the soft gutters, it’s an ideal circuit,” Mr Kerr said.
He is lobbying Greater Dandenong Council to help with the cost of installing more rocks to curb the damaged trees and landscaped roundabouts.
Mr Kerr also hopes the council will contribute to a CCTV network throughout the estate to identify hoon drivers.
Last week, Mr Kerr ordered four infrared multi-focal cameras to be installed on poles at his property.
The cameras will be pointed at the road in the hope of recording hoon vehicles’ number plates.
Greater Dandenong engineering services director Bruce Rendall said measures had to be effective “without creating road safety risks and undue inconvenience for those who are using the roads appropriately”.
He had this month ruled out speed humps as unsuitable for the estate’s heavy traffic, but the council was consulting on “some initial measures” to help reduce hoon activity in the area.
– Cameron Lucadou-Wells