Noise
Noise is one of the most common sources of friction between neighbours in residential environments. But the perception of what’s unreasonable varies between people; and most of us can be noisy from time to time.
If noise from your neighbours is bothering you, the first step is to speak to them about it - they may not have realised the effect on you and may be quite happy to tone it down.
Under the Environment Protection Act 2017, it’s an offence for a person to emit unreasonable noise from residential premises.
If someone is making unreasonable noise, you can call either the City of Port Phillip Council (during normal working hours) or the police (outside normal working hours). They can give the person a warning and direct them to reduce or stop the noise.
EPA Regulations ban the use of noisy equipment - when the noise can be heard inside a habitable room of another residence - as follows.
| Prohibited times | |
|---|---|
| Power tools |
Before 7am and after 8pm on weekdays Before 9am and after 8pm on weekends |
| Stereos, musical instruments, |
Monday to Thursday: before 7am or after 10pm Friday: before 7am or after 11pm Saturday and public holidays: before 9am or after 11pm Sunday: before 9am or after 10pm |
| Air conditioners, vacuum cleaners |
Before 7am or after 10pm on weekdays Before 9am or after 10pm on weekends and public holidays |