Noise guide for local government

The Noise Guide for Local Government aims to provide practical advice to council officers in the day-to-day management of local noise problems and the interpretation of existing policy and legislation.

The Guide focuses on how to assess and manage the noise issues dealt with by council officers, such as neighbour-to-neighbour problems and those resulting from commercial or industrial premises.

Importantly, the Guide is also aimed at planners. It outlines planning considerations that can have a significant bearing on prevention of future noise problems.

The Guide is advisory in nature and council officers are encouraged to use it to develop their procedures and policies to deal with noise issues relevant to local circumstances.

Note: The guide is being progressively updated to reflect the changes to the POEO (Noise Control) Regulation in March 2008. Parts 2 and 4 are current and revisions to the other sections are expected to be published shortly.

Contents

• Part 1 - Framework for noise control (0730noiseguideforlgpart1.pdf, 274 KB) outlines the legal framework for noise control and the distribution of responsibility for dealing with noise problems.
• Part 2 - Noise assessment (09553Part2NGLG.pdf, 678 KB) describes the key noise assessment procedures that council officers may use when deciding whether noise is a problem. These cover the audibility test, duration of noise test for intruder alarms and the offensive noise test. Advice is also provided on procedures for assessing noise using a sound level meter and when this may be needed to determine if noise is offensive or intrusive.
• Part 3 - Noise management principles (0730noiseguideforlgpart3.pdf, 383 KB) describes the range of mitigation strategies to prevent or minimise noise impacts from both planning and management perspectives.
• Part 4 - Regulating noise impacts (09580Part4NGLG.pdf, 370 KB) identifies the statutory processes that are available to avoid or control noise.
• Part 5 - Case studies (0730noiseguideforlgpart5.pdf, 264 KB) illustrate how the assessment and management tools available can be used to help control some common noise problems.
• Part 6 - Appendixes (0730noiseguideforlgpart6.pdf, 1060 KB)
  • Appendix 1 Managing noise impacts on residents for particular issues: Quick reference guide
  • Appendix 2 'Modifying factor' adjustments
  • Appendix 3 Technical notes
  • Appendix 4 Templates for notices
  • Appendix 5 Australian Environment Council brochure: Air conditioner noise
  • Appendix 6 Australian Environment Council brochure: Noise from swimming and spa pools 
• Part 7 References and index