Pete Walsh and his family moved to Tricia Court, in Shelley, back in 2015, before deciding to re-locate a short distance away to Barrow Crescent.
On a semi-regular basis, the property and the family’s possessions are blanketed by thick layers of black dust.
The issue has impacted the family in both locations – Tricia Ct and Barrow Cr – over the past few years.
Mr Walsh is adamant that the dust comes from vehicles travelling along Leach Highway.
“The dust isn’t a one-off thing, it’s continuous – We had the windows near the kitchen open the other day, and it got all over the dishes on the sink…I had to rewash them,” he said.
“I think there must be a proximity issue with the highway, I’d say at least four streets inwards.
“It’s clear they (our neighbours) have the same problem, whether they’ve realised it or not…you can see the black stains on the houses and garages.
“You can also follow it down the streets.”
Mr Walsh said the issue has placed added stress upon himself and his family, with very few solutions to be found.
“It’s an absolute pain to have to clean all the time, we can’t hang clothes on the line or leave things outside without them getting coated,” he said.
“As for health risks, I’m not sure but my son seems to continuously have a chesty cough…I think he might be sensitive to it.
“We are seriously considering where we should live…we’re looking at available properties potentially to move into.
“However, the majority of properties available in this area are adjacent to major highways…based on our current experience, we are steering away from this.”
Main Roads WA spokesperson Dean Roberts said they were unsure as to where the dust was coming from.
“Main Roads has not undertaken any major works along Leach Hwy in this area for more than 12 months,” he said.
“The dust reported could be from many sources – works in the area, diesel particles from heavy vehicles, and fires burning around the metropolitan area, just to name a few.
“It should also be noted that dust in the atmosphere travels for very long distances and, therefore, the source may not be local at all.
