Latest news with #KarenOliver
ABC News
5 days ago
- ABC News
Court hears Fosterville Gold Mine noise 'torturing' Axedale neighbours
Victoria's Supreme Court has heard noise from the state's biggest gold mine has turned a country home into "a place of torture". Kirsty McDonald and Karen Oliver have lodged a private nuisance claim, saying their home has become a "living hell" due to low-frequency noise from Fosterville Gold Mine's operations, 20 kilometres east of Bendigo. The Axedale couple's claim against the mine is being heard in a judge-alone civil trial in Victoria's Supreme Court. Fosterville Gold Mine unsuccessfully attempted to have the case dismissed late last year. The couple's barrister, Jonathan Korman, told the court on Thursday the mine had done "not one thing" to abate the noise or ameliorate the plaintiff's "extreme state of physical and mental suffering". Mr Korman said the couple had lived about 3km from the mine without issue for six years. That was until mid-2020 when ventilation shafts were moved above ground, he told the court. "It's common sense this noise is coming from the mine," Mr Korman said. Mr Korman alleged Fosterville Gold Mine used a "repetitive gaslighting approach" to noise complaints, taking measurements that repeatedly found no breach. "The subtle and insidious effect of this approach is to invalidate the complaint made," he said. Giving evidence on Thursday, Ms McDonald told the court for the first eight months after the noise started, she thought the mine was working with them to fix it. She said staff at the mine had initially agreed it was causing the noise, before retracting that view in April 2021. "I felt betrayed and made a fool of," Ms McDonald told the court. In the years since, she said her mental health had deteriorated, and the couple had resorted to sleeping in their car or "fleeing" to friends' homes. Mr Korman told the court two other residents living near the mine were expected to give evidence, including one who became a "chronic insomniac" and wears earplugs or headphones day and night. Martin Scott KC, representing Fosterville Gold Mine, told the court "exhaustive investigations were made in good faith" after complaints were received from the couple. Mr Scott said the mine modified its ventilation fans to the satisfaction of the Environment Protection Authority. The mine also rejects claims about how it dealt with the plaintiffs, he told the court. Mr Scott said evidence from acoustic experts would show differences in noise measurements taken simultaneously at the mine and the plaintiffs' home. He also said independent noise monitoring inside the Axedale home found levels were "below the threshold of audibility". The 10-day trial continues on Friday.
BBC News
27-03-2025
- BBC News
Hartlepool cycle schemes approved
Three new cycling schemes have been given the go-ahead in a bid to boost sustainable new Hartlepool cycleway projects will link the town centre to Catcote Road, the Waterfront and the Headland after the £9.2m plans were unanimously approved by include improvements to crossings, street lighting and traffic signals along the routes, with work due to start in officers said the work, funded through the government, would provide "safer and more convenient connections between different parts of the borough and greater travel alternatives". It should also encourage "further uptake for more sustainable forms of travel from new users," they schemes will be funded by Department for Transport money, administered by the Tees Valley Combined Authority. Two consultations have already been carried out by the Labour-led council on schemes from the town centre to Catcote Road and the to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, a second consultation on the Headland route is due to take place Karen Oliver, chair of Hartlepool Borough Council's neighbourhood committee, said it was "quite a big piece of work" and "brilliant news"."In terms of sustainable travel, it's fabulous," she added. Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas here.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Council's bus franchise calls rejected by mayor
Calls to franchise local bus services have been shot down by the Tees Valley mayor for being too expensive. Hartlepool Borough Council wrote to the combined authority calling for it to allow private firms to run bus services as part of efforts to improve public transport. Labour councillor Karen Oliver, who proposed the motion, said it would "make a real difference" to residents. Mayor Ben Houchen, Conservative, rejected the idea and said it would be "gambling taxpayers' money". Under a franchise system, an area's local transport authority awards contracts to private operators allowing them to run services in specific areas or along certain routes. Those who support bus franchising argue it can improve public spending efficiency, as transport authorities can use money from profitable routes to subsidise those that do not make money. But Houchen disagreed and said the taxpayer would have to pay for the new system. "Franchising buses would mean years of costly bureaucracy, handing hundreds of millions to companies like Arriva and Stagecoach, and a significant tax increase on local people - something I've promised never to do," he said. "Instead of gambling taxpayers' money on a vague, unworkable idea, we're delivering real improvements now [such as] £1 fares for young people and targeted funding for new services where it's needed most." Labour-led Hartlepool Council's motion had also called on the combined authority to fund a maximum £2 bus fare across the Tees Valley, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Under the government-funded National Bus Fare Cap Scheme, many single fares have a maximum price of £3. The North East Combined Authority (Neca) recently went further and capped fares at £2.50. However, the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) has not lowered the maximum fare. The council also called for "a regular and reliable bus service" to be reinstated to areas with "unreliable" public transport links. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Calls for care leavers to get free buses until 25 Region's bus fares to be capped at £2.50 Hartlepool Borough Council Tees Valley Combined Authority
BBC News
26-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Hartlepool's bus franchise calls rejected by Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen
Calls to franchise local bus services have been shot down by the Tees Valley mayor for being too Borough Council wrote to the combined authority calling for it to allow private firms to run bus services as part of efforts to improve public transport. Labour councillor Karen Oliver, who proposed the motion, said it would "make a real difference" to Ben Houchen, Conservative, rejected the idea and said it would be "gambling taxpayers' money". Under a franchise system, an area's local transport authority awards contracts to private operators allowing them to run services in specific areas or along certain who support bus franchising argue it can improve public spending efficiency, as transport authorities can use money from profitable routes to subsidise those that do not make money. But Houchen disagreed and said the taxpayer would have to pay for the new system."Franchising buses would mean years of costly bureaucracy, handing hundreds of millions to companies like Arriva and Stagecoach, and a significant tax increase on local people - something I've promised never to do," he said."Instead of gambling taxpayers' money on a vague, unworkable idea, we're delivering real improvements now [such as] £1 fares for young people and targeted funding for new services where it's needed most." Labour-led Hartlepool Council's motion had also called on the combined authority to fund a maximum £2 bus fare across the Tees Valley, according to the Local Democracy Reporting the government-funded National Bus Fare Cap Scheme, many single fares have a maximum price of £ North East Combined Authority (Neca) recently went further and capped fares at £2.50. However, the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) has not lowered the maximum council also called for "a regular and reliable bus service" to be reinstated to areas with "unreliable" public transport links. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
