Noise Pollution

Noise pollution refers to unwanted or harmful sound that disrupts daily life or causes health and environmental impacts. Common sources include traffic, construction, industrial activity, entertainment venues, and residential noise. Prolonged exposure can lead to stress, sleep disturbance, hearing loss, and reduced quality of life.

Regulations and Prohibited Times

The Environment Protection Regulations 2021 outline specific sources of noise and their prohibited times.

Noise Type  Prohibited Times 
  • motor vehicles, except when entering or leaving residential premises
  • personal watercraft or vessels, such as boats
  • lawnmowers or other grass-cutting devices
  •  electric power tools, chainsaws or circular saws 
  •  gas or air compressors
  •  pneumatic power tools, hammers or other impacting tools
    or grinding equipment
  • weekdays before 7 am and after 8 pm
  • weekends and public holidays before
    9 am and after 8 pm
  • swimming pool, spa or water pumps (except when used to fill a header tank)
  • home heaters, including central heating, hot water systems or a heat pump,
    air conditioner or split system used for heating
  • vacuum cleaners
  • weekdays before 7 am and after 10 pm
  • weekends and public holidays before 9 am and after 10 pm
  •  air conditioners, evaporative coolers or split systems used for cooling
  • weekdays before 7 am and after 11 pm
  • weekends and public holidays before 9 am and after 11 pm.

 During a heat health warning, you can use your air conditioner
at any time.
  • musical instruments
  • electrical audio goods, including stereos, radios, TVs and
    public address systems
  • Monday to Thursday before 7 am and after 10 pm
  • Friday before 7 am and after 11 pm
  • Saturday and public holidays before 9 am and after 11 pm
  •  Sunday before 9 am and after 10 pm

For the complete list and additional details, visit the EPA's page for Prohibited times for noise.

Report Noise Pollution

Before you make a complaint, if it is appropriate and safe to do so, Council and the EPA encourages you to first speak to the people making the noise. They might not know the noise is a problem and could quickly resolve the issue. 

Noise Types Who to Contact 

Residential Noise:

  • House Parties
  • Stereo Systems
  • Air Conditioners
  • Pool Pumps
  • Residential construction and demolition
  • Drilling, sawing, hammering etc.
    (especially outside permitted hours)
  • Council for ongoing or daytime issues.
  • Victoria Police for urgent or after-hours disturbances.
    To report a loud party, call the Police Assistance Line
    on 131 444.

Commercial or industrial noise:

  • Restaurants
  • Gyms
  • Supermarkets
  • Manufacturing
  • Utilities
  • Commercial construction sites
  • EPA for large-scale or persistent issues.
  • Council for smaller businesses or local concerns.

Music from entertainment venues:

  • Theatres and concert halls
  • Sporting events
  • Stadiums and festival grounds
  • Pubs, clubs, and bars

Major projects or state government activities:

  • Major infrastructure projects (e.g., road or rail)
  • State-managed land use (e.g., schools, prisons)
  • Wind turbines

Noisy vehicles and trains:

  • Noisy exhausts
  • Road traffic noise
  • Public transport services

Powered recreational vehicles including motorbikes

You need a permit to use or allow others to use a powered recreational vehicle on land owned or occupied by yourself, if:

(a) that land is within a residential zone, commercial zone or industrial zone under the Planning Scheme, or the land is affected by an environmental significance overlay, heritage overlay, vegetation protection overlay, or significant landscape overlay under the Planning Scheme; or

(b) that land is less than 4 hectares in size.

Conditions of use:

  • vehicles must not cause nuisance to others because of sound, smell, dust, smoke, soil erosion or any other factor that causes a nuisance, whether a permit is required or not
  • vehicles must not be used within a distance of 500 metres of any neighbouring dwelling
  • vehicles must be fitted with a muffler that meets Council's specifications
  • no more than 2 vehicles may be used at any one time on land that is less than 20 hectares
  • no more than 4 vehicles may be used at any one time on land that is more than 20 hectares
  • vehicles may only be used for 1 hour continuously, after which no vehicles may be used for a minimum of 2 hours
  • vehicles may only be used between 10am to 6pm Monday to Saturday and  between 1pm and 4pm on Sundays and public holidays
  • vehicles may not be used on Total Fire Ban days.

For more detailed information regarding the use of powered recreation vehicles including motorbikes, see Council's Community Local Law 2023.

To apply for a permit to use a powered recreational vehicle, contact Local Laws on (03) 5422 0333.

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