By CASEY NEILL
HOONING on the Dandenong Bypass shocked Nicole from sleep just days after she moved into her new Keysborough home.
Her experience is nothing new, so she and neighbours are calling for a new approach.
Nicole, who did not want her surname published, moved into a home near Perry and Church roads on a Friday.
“That night we heard maybe three cars around the midnight mark,” she said.
“Saturday was just out of control, from 9.45pm through to 2.30am.
“It wakes you up. It gives you that really loud shock.
“Some residents have made the comment that you get used to it.
“The most frustrating part is that everyone’s given up.
“People bring chairs. This is organised racing.
“It seems a bit odd that it’s organised and no one can stop it.”
Nicole is worried that somebody will get hurt.
“If someone happened to be driving down there and got caught up in it … ” she said.
In a statement, Keysborough South Action Group said the issue had persisted for nearly three years.
“It starts on Thursday and continues Friday and Saturday nights between 11.30pm and 3am,” the group said.
“When will the ‘harmless fun’ turn into a tragedy?
“It would be great if Sandown was utilised similar to the street drag racing program at Calder Park, to allow drag racers a place to safety let off steam.”
The Calder Park website encourages drivers to “bring it to the track and save your licence and car from being confiscated” and “race with your mates in a controlled, safe environment”.
But Melbourne Racing Club spokesman Jake Norton said Sandown Racecourse did not have a permit to host such events.
He said nearby homes and Environment Protection Authority (EPA) regulations would not allow it.
“Calder Park’s a bit different because it’s so isolated from residential areas,” he said.
Greater Dandenong Highway Patrol Acting Senior Sergeant Andrew Smart said police had “quite a few things planned” to combat hooning.
He said burnouts were common in industrial areas and driving at high speeds was taking place on Princes Highway as well as the Dandenong Bypass.
“We’re currently running operations on both with support from the entire region,” he said.
Sen Sgt Smart said there were “big operations coming up”.
“It’s at the forefront of our minds,” he said.
