I can hear the twittering of birds and the rustling of leaves in the Gleditsia trees as I walk down the street towards my local cafe. I’m meeting a neighbour for an interview for this column.
Most of the time I feel lucky to live where I do. It’s close to Melbourne’s CBD, has good access to trains and well-regarded local schools. It’s the type of place where neighbours mow each other’s front lawns and lost things – wallets, keys, dogs – find their way home
But there’s a catch.
Trucks on residential streets in Yarraville, Melbourne.Credit: Paul Jeffers
As I get closer to the main road, there are new sounds. The bump-bump noise of B-double trailers. A rattle of chains. The hiss of air brakes.
About 2000 trucks traverse the two-lane road each day, Yarraville resident Glen Yates tells me.
“I’m not sure if you’re aware, but almost half of those shipping containers going backwards and forwards up here are actually empty,” he says. “They use them for balance on ships that don’t have enough cargo.”
Glen Yates, who has been campaigning for better air quality in Melbourne’s west.Credit: Jason South
The cafe we are in is on the road where my four-year-old children are likely to go to primary school.
I feel a bit sheepish about this meeting. In my mind, Yates is a local community hero. He runs a network of air monitoring stations and, along with others, has been advocating for improved air quality in the west.