For the past 50-odd years Peter Mullins regarded the dense bushland close to his Rankin Park home as an environmental sanctuary in the midst of suburbia.
These days he sees a massive scar of raw earth created by work on the Newcastle Inner City Bypass, which he blames for coating the neighbourhood with black dust.
He said the dust began to proliferate at the same time as earthworks commenced earlier this year.
The removal of 51.8 hectares of trees and vegetation, 43 hectares of which is native, represented the largest land clearing project in Newcastle in recent decades.
Mr Mullins and his wife have also had recent chest infections that he attributes to poor air quality.
"You can't even see it. It's a fine, black coal type of dust," Mr Mullins, who lives about a kilometre from the earthworks, said.
"I just mopped the floor in the kitchen, bathroom and hallway and I had to empty the bucket three times because the water was black."
"We've never had this sort of crap around here before."
Meanwhile, Lambton resident Mary Bingle, who lives several kilometres from the bypass work, also said she had experienced an increase in dust on her Elder Street home.
"I've been getting dust all over the front of my house for years but it's definitely got worse since the bypass work began," she said.
"I know it's a fair way away (from the bypass work) but it comes down past the John Hospital."
The NSW Environment Protection Authority confirmed it had received complaints about dust from the project.
We have received some community reports about dust and we will continue to enforce dust control measures with the licensee and work proactively with them to minimise environmental impacts on neighbours and the community," he said.
"On construction sites such as this where there are large expanses of exposed soil, controlling dust is a key consideration for environmental management.
"We encourage anyone who sees pollution to report it our 24/7 Environment Line on 131 555."
A Transport for NSW spokeswoman said dust levels near the project area were monitored closely.
"Dust gauges are installed next to and around the work site to monitor dust in the area," she said.
"The dust gauges are collected monthly and sent to a lab for analysis. The results to date have all been under the criteria set in the management plans and monitoring programs.
"Transport will continue to work with the community and ensure dust impacts are mitigated appropriately."
Dust control measures including regular water cart use, use of soil binding agents, and the temporary and progressive revegetation of exposed areas are in place at the site. The EPA conducts regular inspections to ensure environmental compliance.
Earthworks are either modified or stopped during periods of strong winds.
Construction on the 3.4 kilometre Jesmond to Rankin Park stretch began in March 2023
The project is designed to reduce congestion and remove 30,000 cars from Lookout Road, Croudace Street and Newcastle Road daily.
Expected to open to traffic in late 2025, TFNSW predicts the new bypass will reduce crashes by about 30 per cent.
Earlier this year, residents at the Jesmond end of the project said large numbers of native animals had been displaced as a result of habitat destruction.
In one instance, a dead kangaroo was found near the intersection of Diana Street and Newcastle Road, 1.3 kilometres away from the construction site.
Transport for NSW disputed that the animal had been displaced by the project.
