Residential Noise

Council has an important role under the Environment Protection Act 2017 working with the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate under the environment protection framework.  

Council Officer’s regulate several key environmental and human health issues using their powers under the Act including noise, odour, waste, water and environmental health.

 

Residential Noise

In many instances, issues about noise can be resolved by speaking to the person or business creating the noise. Often the person making the noise isn’t aware that they’re causing a problem and will quickly fix the situation.

You can approach a person or business by talking to them directly or dropping off a letter in their mailbox.

It is part of life that we all make noise, whether we are talking to others, playing music, entertaining, mowing the lawn, working around the house or just going about our daily business. What is enjoyable to one person may be noise to another. Excessive noise can affect a person's quality of life.

Council officers may be able to assist in addressing long-term issues, involving prescribed items, plant and equipment, machine and animal noise.

Information about residential noise and what you can do about it can be found at EPA - Residential Noise information and the EPA publication - Annoyed by noise?(PDF, 1MB)

If you have any concerns about residential noise, please contact Council on (03) 5772 0333.

 

Prohibited times for residential noise

Equipment use within permitted hours may be unreasonable, depending on the circumstances of use. Noise can be unreasonable if a neighbour can hear it in a habitable room of their home.

For items such as motor vehicles, lawn mowers, electric power tools, air conditioners, the table below outlines the current EPA regulations for residential noise.

 

Prohibited times for noise
Group	Prescribed items	Prohibited times
1	Motor vehicles (but not when entering or leaving a site).	Monday to Friday before 7 am or after 8 pm.
	Lawnmowers or other grass-cutting devices.	Weekends and public holidays before 9 am or after 8 pm.
	Any equipment with an internal combustion engine not in group 2.
2	Electric power tools, chainsaws or circular saws.	Monday to Friday before 7 am or after 8 pm.
	Gas or air compressors.	Weekends and public holidays before 9 am or after 8 pm.
	Pneumatic power tools, hammers or other impacting tools or grinding equipment.
3	Home heat pumps.	Monday to Friday before 7 am or after 10 pm.
	Swimming pool, spa or water pumps except when used to fill a heating header tank.	Weekends and public holidays before 9 am or after 10 pm.
	Home heaters (including central heating and hot water systems).
	Vacuum cleaners.
4	An air conditioner, evaporative cooler or split system used for cooling.	Monday to Friday before 7 am and after 11 pm.
		Weekends and public holidays before 9 am and after 11 pm.
		During a heat health alert, you can use your air conditioner at any time.
5	Musical instruments.	Monday to Thursday before 7 am or after 10 pm.
	Electric audio goods, including stereos, radios, TVs and public address systems.	Friday before 7 am or after 11 pm.
	Water pumps being used to fill a header tank (e.g. collecting river or bore water, or moving water between two tanks)	Saturday and public holidays before 9 am or after 11 pm.
		Sunday before 9 am or after 10 pm.
6	Electrical goods not in group 2, 3 or 4, including gardening tools.	Monday to Friday before 7 am or after 8 pm.
	Not equipment for personal care or grooming, or for food heating, cooling or preparation.	Weekends and public holidays before 9 am or after 8 pm.

 

Other Noise

Guidelines are available on the EPA website covering noise from construction sites, domestic refuse collections, commercial and industrial noise, and motor vehicles.

Further information can be obtained in the EPA’s noise control guidelines(PDF, 1MB).

If you have any concerns about noise, please contact Council on (03) 5772 0333.