ABC Radio Melbourne: What Victorians really gripe about when it comes to their neighbours
Ever been woken by a lawn mower on a Sunday morning? ABC Radio Melbourne’s Brigitte Duclos has, and she put it to our CEO, Danny Gorog, on Victorian Afternoons while talking all things neighbours. Listeners rang in with some lovely stories, and Danny shared what Snappers have been telling us.
First, the scores. In our Neighbours Survey, Tasmania came out friendliest at 4.02 out of 5, ahead of a national average of 3.84. Victoria landed third from the bottom. Danny’s theory is density: the more people living close together, the more chances for friction. It also fits with another finding, that in most states regional neighbours were happier than their city counterparts.
So what do Victorians gripe about? According to Danny, rubbish and bins are the biggest sore spot, followed by:
- Noise
- Building and development
- Animals
- Vegetation
- Fences
Then there are the reports that made Brigitte laugh. One Snapper sent in a photo of a sound meter with a decibel reading to back up a complaint about outdoor speakers. Others have raised wandering cats, and in rural Victoria, a neighbour’s sheep that badly needed shearing.
Before anyone decides the whole street is at war, Danny put it in perspective: only 1 in 100 of our reports is about a neighbour. That’s a small slice of what Snappers send in.
His advice is the same as ever. Chat first, because as he put it:
“Pleasant communication goes a long way.”
Listen to the full segment below.
