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Noise complaints

Information on noise complaints from entertainment venues, commercial buildings sites, neighbours, equipment or waste collection.

Noise can be annoying, distracting, physically harmful and can cause significant stress to those impacted.

If you would like more information on noise, including residential noise please visit the EPA Victoria.

We have included some additional information below covering common noise concerns.

All licensed premises are obliged to respond quickly and positively to resolve complaints.

If you are affected by noise from an entertainment venue, please talk to the operator or manager of the venue to let them know noise from their business is impacting you.

If you cannot resolve the issue, you can contact Victoria Police. Police have power to instruct a venue to cease or decrease noise between midnight and 8.00am

Under the Planning and Environment Act, Yarra City Council planning enforcement officers can investigate if the venue is breaching their planning permit or planning scheme.

Construction can substantially impact on people living and working in Yarra, especially those living or working near a construction site.

All building works are required to:

  • work within permitted working hours: 7.00am to 6.00pm Monday to Friday and 9.00am to 3.00pm on Saturday (unless otherwise approved)
  • undertake building works in a manner that does not cause a nuisance
  • work within approved guidelines, which may include a noise and vibration plan

Please note that the site may have permission to work additional hours as each request is assessed on a case by case basis.

General noise from building sites in permitted hours including, drilling, sawing and hammering, is allowed.

Noise can come from residential activities such as parties, renovations or household activities.

Under the Environmental Protection Act, it's an offence to cause unreasonable noise from residential premises.

The best way to deal with a noisy neighbour is to talk to them directly or drop a letter in their mailbox.

If noise is occurring late at night/early morning (outside of the permitted EPA times) and requires immediate attention, Victoria Police have powers to help with this.

Unreasonable noise is defined as:

  • volume and intensity
  • what the noise sounds like
  • time and place
  • circumstances
  • how long the noise continues
  • how often the noise occurs

If the issue is happening regularly, please report this to Yarra City Council and provide as much information (listed above) as possible.

It's important to note further information may be needed to establish whether the noise is 'unreasonable' under the Environmental Protection Act.

Noise from domestic machines fixed to a property includes air conditioners, ducted heating systems or hot water units.

If this is happening to you, you may be asked to keep a diary of when the noise occurs. Yarra City Council may also need to measure noise levels to present to a magistrate if the problem goes to court.

The following cannot be used in Yarra parks or gardens without a permit:

  • generators
  • amplifier or speakers for the purpose of amplifying music or voices
  • drums or percussion instruments
  • megaphones
  • car radios audible to any person outside the motor vehicle
  • device that plays music or videos at a volume that can be heard in a habitable room of a dwelling in the area of the park or garden

If you are regularly woken at night by waste collection activities, you can report this.

Trade waste cannot be collected before 7.00am or after 8.00pm Monday to Saturday and before 9.00am or after 8.00pm on any Sunday or any public holiday.

Council is exempt from these restrictions.