Price barrier

By Melissa Meehan
Nick Bishop said he and his wife Bek moved into their home well aware of the train line and the noise has never really bothered them.
But since putting their house on the market over seven months ago, it is clear the lack of sound barriers between the estate and railway line is an issue for prospective buyers.
“The estate needs sound barriers,” he said.
“Obviously the noises and whatnot would be lessened if we had the barriers.”
Mr Bishop said the noise would not bother those looking to move into a cheaper estate. But buying in Heritage Springs, a more upmarket part of Pakenham, people expected to have sound barriers.
“Because nothing is there to stop the noise, people are turned off the house,” he said.
“We’ve had the house on the market for seven months, we’ve used a number of different estate agents and they have all said the same thing – the railway is an issue.”
He said some of the estate had sound barriers and couldn’t understand why his area of Heritage Springs didn’t.
“They’ve stuck up a fence on the other side and not ours – why is that?” he said.
“Land is $300,000 plus on this side alone, on the other side house and land starts at $300,000 plus.”
He said his house was 20 metres from the train line and while the sound of trains hadn’t really bothered his family, since trying to sell his house the trains had become more noticeable.
“The main trains, being the freight trains are fairly loud,” he said.
“We have to stop talking when they go past, but we’re still on the market and hopefully if I jump up and down we can get the sound barriers in.”
A spokesperson for Heritage Springs said they had already put acoustic fences up between the railway line and houses.