Residents are growing tired of continuous late night activity at the timber plantation along Frenchmans Lane in Mount Clear.
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The area was once again the scene of a suspicious incident at the weekend, after a car caught fire on Sunday morning around 2am.
One resident said they weren't surprised, telling The Courier vehicles often speed loudly around the area constantly.
"You hear it almost every evening I would say," the resident said.
They speed up and down (Docwra Street) in front of the school and constantly do burnouts along the road... you can see the burnt rubber in the morning.
- A resident who lives near Frenchmans Lane.
The resident said the issue has gotten so bad they can no longer put clothes out on the washing line, as vehicles speeding in and out of the plantation kick up a large amount of dust.
The activity isn't only limited to burnouts and car fires, as a quick drive along Frenchmans Lane and the surrounding plantation revealed a large amount of rubbish, often just dumped along the side of the road.
The resident says they have at times seen cars bring large trailers of rubbish into the plantation and come out with an empty trailer.
Speaking to a neighbour, the resident says some of the rubbish has been in the plantation for so long, they are using it to help assist police in catching offenders.
"They can see a large section of the plantation, so when they call (the police), they'll say "go down Frenchman's Lane and turn right at the mattress" or "turn left at the couch."
Because of the area's relatively isolated location, a Ballarat Police spokesperson said he also wasn't surprised with the frequency of activity in the area.
"These sorts of offences aren't uncommon in areas like Mount Clear," he said.
Car fires and rubbish dumping have plagued the area for some time, with one resident, Sally Pope, who has lived in the area for 20 years telling The Courier in September 2019 the issue only getting worse.
"We've been here 20 years, it's gradually getting worse,"
"The car burning thing has literally skyrocketed in the last two years," she said.
"The majority of the people in our court have families, and animals as well - I had a couple of close calls in the past, it's a bit of a worry."
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