Our Rights - Noise
Licensed Premises
Before midnight, noise from restaurants, nightclubs, hotels and other licensed premises is limited by the City of Sydney to five decibels above background noise levels. To the average person, this represents sound levels that are 50 per cent higher than background noise levels. After midnight, noise from these venues must not be audible within any habitable room of a residential premise.
The City of Sydney investigates associated complaints.
If you have a complaint relating to noise from a premise and/or their patrons, or as a result of violent or anti-social behaviour by patrons, you can also lodge a complaint with the Liquor Administration Board.
Commercial Premises
Noise from activities at commercial premises - such as service delivery vehicles, forklifts and loading dock operations - is similarly limited by the City of Sydney to five decibels above background noise levels.
Exhaust Fans and Air Conditioners
The City of Sydney restricts the level of noise emitted from these devices so they are inaudible within other premises after 12 midnight, and no more than five decibels above the background noise level after 7am.
Publications
The following publications from the Department of Environment & Climate Change provide further detail on specific types of noise, and what you can do about it:
- Dealing with Neighbourhood Noise - HTML | PDF
- Seeking a Noise Abatement Order - HTML | PDF
- Managing noise from intruder alarms - HTML | PDF
- Dealing with barking dogs - HTML | PDF
- Managing noise from vehicles - HTML | PDF
Summary of Noise Restrictions
The following tables provided by the Department of Climate Change and Environment summarise the regulations in place under Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (to be superceded in September 2007)
Table 1: Time restrictions when noise is audible inside a neighbour's residence
|
Noise source on |
Time restrictions |
Contact |
|
Power tools and equipment (powered garden tools, e.g. lawn mowers and leaf blowers; electric or pneumatic tools; chainsaws or circular saws; gas or air compressors; swimming pool or spa pumps) |
8 pm–7 am on weekdays and Saturdays 8 pm–8 am on Sundays and public holidays |
Local council or Police |
|
Musical instruments and sound equipment (radios, TVs, tape recorders, record or compact disc players, public address systems, computer games) |
12 midnight to 8 am everyday |
Local council or Police |
|
Air conditioners |
10 pm to 7 am on weekdays 10 pm to 8 am on weekends and public holidays |
Local council |
|
Motor vehicles (except when entering or leaving residential premises) |
8 pm to 7 am on weekdays 8 pm to 8 am on weekends and public holidays |
Local council or Police |
|
Refrigeration units fitted to motor vehicles |
8 pm to 7 am on weekdays 8 pm to 8 am on weekends and public holidays |
Local council or Police |
Table 2: Noise from other sources: who to contact
|
Noise source |
Contact |
|
Road construction:
|
DEC |
|
Road traffic:
|
RTA |
|
Individual motor vehicles (including trail bikes) in a public place:
|
Police or DEC |
|
Sporting facilities (other than boating events) |
Local council |
|
Building construction |
Local council |
|
Shop ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration equipment etc |
Local council |
|
Amplified music from:
|
Local council or Police |
|
Concert facilities |
Local council |
|
Noise in public places: animal noise, barking dogs, crowing roosters |
Local council or Police |
|
Burglar or intruder alarms: private homes, shops and small factories |
Local council |
|
Car alarms |
The Police or local council; |