CITY Gate ward residents have raised serious concerns about the safety risks and noise caused by inconsiderate motorists at all hours of the night.
While this is the jurisdiction of the police and not MRCC, I appeal to those engaging in this risky behaviour.
Mildura has a proud and dedicated car culture. Appreciation for vehicles and racing is deeply ingrained in Mildura’s identity, with national and international champions across all facets of motor sport.
Racing is also part of my own heritage, as I am a relative of the late Peter Brock and a self-prescribed “rev-head”.
However, there is a stark difference between celebrating the skill of our champions and those trying to imitate them in the early hours of the morning on Fifteenth Street and in empty car parks.
I have been awoken by the revving of engines, screeching tyres, and roaring exhausts — particularly after rain when hoons take to the roads.
What follows is dread: waiting for the sirens, flashing lights of ambulances, and the thought of which student, their friend, or family member might be affected next.
The noise is disruptive and needs to stop, but the greater concern is the emotional toll of unsafe driving.
In February 2015, our community lost someone to this behaviour in a Fifteenth Street car park, with another five young people left to bear the lifelong consequences, let alone the ripple effect of grief that moved slowly across the community.
“In sentencing… the judge said jail time was necessary to deter other young offenders from dangerous driving.” (ABC 24/2/2016)
A professional racing event took my cousin — an expert in his craft and machine.
To the young people who feel invincible but are certainly not experts, please consider the impact of your actions on City Gate residents and those who care about you.
