Thread: Rules on Noise?

Hi Toni,

I try to keep between 9 am and 8pm. It just depends on the weather and the amount of light. I'll also start later on a Sunday morning than a Saturday.

Does Townsville have a Coucil website with this info available there?

cheers
Wendy

Thanks for that Wendy never thought of looking council I been searching general and getting no where really quick.
But now for the next question which category would a lathe and bandsaw be in?
Power tools or building (more power tools won't it? But no sunday none allowed Weekends is when I play the most due to hubby being home.

bye Toni

Regulated devices including lawn mowers and power tools

Monday-Saturday
7am-7pm: noise permitted
7pm-7am: no audible noise permitted
Sunday
8am-7pm: noise permitted
7pm-8am: no audible noise permitted
Building works

Monday – Saturday
6.30am-6.30pm: noise permitted
6.30pm-6.30am: no audible noise permitted

I'd say they are in the power tool category.

Looks like during the day is good, but not at night after 6:30 pm Saturday and after 7pm Sunday.

Hmm, there's been a few good threads on insulation/noise reduction recently

Each jurisdiction is different but in NSW, my experience is that woodworking tools can be used 7am-8pm Mon-Sat and 8am-8pm on Sundays and Public Holidays.

Building works are restricted even further but that generally deals with work being done pursuant to a DA.


I can thank my good neighbour for that bit of education.

PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT OPERATIONS (NOISE CONTROL) REGULATION 2000 - REG 50

Power tools and equipment 50 Power tools and equipment

(1) A person must not cause or permit a power tool or swimming pool pump to be used on residential premises in such a manner that it emits noise that can be heard within a habitable room in any other residential premises (regardless of whether any door or window to that room is open):

(a) before 8 am or after 8 pm on any Sunday or public holiday, or

(b) before 7 am or after 8 pm on any other day.

<small>Maximum penalty: 100 penalty units in the case of a corporation, 50 penalty units in the case of an individual. </small>

(2) A person is not guilty of an offence under this clause unless:

(a) the person has, within 7 days after causing or permitting a power tool or swimming pool pump to be used in such a manner, been warned by any other person not to cause or permit the tool or pump to be used in that manner, and

(b) the person causes or permits the tool or pump to be used in that manner within 28 days after the warning has been given.

(3) In this clause:
"power tool" means any of the following:

(a) a powered garden tool (that is, a tool powered by a petrol engine or an electric motor), including a lawn mower, a lawn trimmer, a blower/sweeper, a garden mulcher, an edge-cutter and a chipper/shredder,

(b) an electric power tool (including battery-operated power tools),

(c) a pneumatic power tool,

(d) a chainsaw,

(e) a circular saw,

(f) a gas or air compressor.

"swimming pool pump" includes a spa pump.

Originally Posted by lubbing5cherubs

so what time is consider not advisable to go after with machinery like a lathe? Bandsaw?

How noisy is your lathe and bandsaw? I would have thought that these are relatively quiet machines.

I'm aware that there are rules concerning how late you can make noise, but to me the intent of the rules is to prevent annoying the neighbours. If the machinery is relatively quiet and you are using it in a reasonably well insulated building then it shouldn't be a problem. Using a portable circular saw late at night would be a problem - a lathe (with an induction motor) in a well insulated building probably wouldn't be a problem.

The wording where I live (Vic) says that the time limits apply where the noise can be heard in a habitable room in a neighbouring building.

I find it depends on how well you get on with your immediate neighbours more than what the law says. Have a chat & a cuppa with 'em, let them know you're a turner and show/give 'em a pen or two. Ask 'em if they'll mind if you work late...

Here, I only run the really noisy machines, such as thicknesser, circular saw, nail guns, etc. during business hours. (around 9AM-5PM) Legally, I've a few hours leeway each side of that in which can use 'em but I don't, except when absolutely necessary.

The neighbours appreciate it, we've had a few talks and will turn a deaf ear to my using other, quieter tools, such as the lathe and bandsaw until 10PM-midnightish. I do get the occasional odd lump of dirt clanging on the shed roof if I forget the time and run into the wee hours though.

It's a comfortable arrangement that works for us.


The last place I lived in, though, had an absolute a/hole neighbour. He'd ring the police if I even looked like lifting a hammer before 8AM sharp or after 7:30PM. Never knocked on my door to speak to me, always straight on the blower to the cops. So I made damned sure that I'd start every day at 7:30 sharp by ripping down timber with a handheld circular saw. And returned the favour of alerting the police any time he started his mower before 10AM on a Sunday. (It was a damned sight worse than I've described, almost a feud... sounds silly & laughable now but back then he got me sooooo riled up! )

You probably won't have much trouble with the lathe pen turning at night, but as Skew says make friends with your neighbours, show them your work ask them if there is a problem, and may be give them one.

Could always make up a few pens, put em in an envelope with your card introducing yourself and what your hobby is.

Give them your phone number and ask they ring you if your disturbing them.

There are some councils that have gone away from regulating times to simply any behaviour that anyone finds intrudes on them

We are lucky in that we are doing renovations, and so are our neighbours on three sides. We all understand, all get along and all borrow/ share/ lend each others bits and pieces. Just heavenly. But none of us start before 8am because we cant be stuffed, and we rarely work after dark.

Originally Posted by lubbing5cherubs

7pm-7am: no audible noise permitted
Sunday
8am-7pm: noise permitted
7pm-8am: no audible noise permitted
Building works

Monday – Saturday
6.30am-6.30pm: noise permitted
6.30pm-6.30am: no audible noise permitted

So you can make as much noise as you like overnight, as long as its not audible....So you can be very very noisy, as long as you do it quietly...

I"m confused...

Originally Posted by boban

Each jurisdiction is different but in NSW, my experience is that woodworking tools can be used 7am-8pm Mon-Sat and 8am-8pm on Sundays and Public Holidays.

Building works are restricted even further but that generally deals with work being done pursuant to a DA.


I can thank my good neighbour for that bit of education.

PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT OPERATIONS (NOISE CONTROL) REGULATION 2000 - REG 50

Power tools and equipment 50 Power tools and equipment

(1) A person must not cause or permit a power tool or swimming pool pump to be used on residential premises in such a manner that it emits noise that can be heard within a habitable room in any other residential premises (regardless of whether any door or window to that room is open):

(a) before 8 am or after 8 pm on any Sunday or public holiday, or

(b) before 7 am or after 8 pm on any other day.

<SMALL>Maximum penalty: 100 penalty units in the case of a corporation, 50 penalty units in the case of an individual. </SMALL>

(2) A person is not guilty of an offence under this clause unless:

(a) the person has, within 7 days after causing or permitting a power tool or swimming pool pump to be used in such a manner, been warned by any other person not to cause or permit the tool or pump to be used in that manner, and

(b) the person causes or permits the tool or pump to be used in that manner within 28 days after the warning has been given.

(3) In this clause:

"power tool" means any of the following:

(a) a powered garden tool (that is, a tool powered by a petrol engine or an electric motor), including a lawn mower, a lawn trimmer, a blower/sweeper, a garden mulcher, an edge-cutter and a chipper/shredder,

(b) an electric power tool (including battery-operated power tools),

(c) a pneumatic power tool,

(d) a chainsaw,

(e) a circular saw,

(f) a gas or air compressor.

"swimming pool pump" includes a spa pump.

Where does "marital aids" fit into the equation i wonder, and can they be used at night or during the day.

The last place we had up in the burbs of Mandurah we had neighbors just like scews... and if it wasnt that one it was the other buggar if not them then the others friggin surrounded by the wallies we were! in a double culdesac with neighbors within spit of each other

Seriously some of them would stand at the bloody fence with a phone to their friggin earholes on a Sundy morning... there was one across the other culdesac who used to toss nails and screws at the shed if I went a minute past the bloody deadline HE had determined was fair and reasonable to him!! this bloke was a true peice of work an absofrigginlute wanker... It was nothing for him to arc up his hotrod at whatever bloody time he chose to or do wheel stands on his motorbike up and down the bloody street no matter the time of day or night but come my shed stuff and its "ooh mr police man come shut the noise buggar up" and we'd get a visit... but the worst was the old fella next door... real bastard must have had a buggar of a life and ate limes and onions for every meal he would STOP his lawnmower to check on what noise was coming from the shed!! Seriously!! the bloke on the other side was worse though in some ways if he had had a few to many the night before which was pretty much every night he would get the fish heads and guts from his last fishin expedition and toss them over the bloody fence!!.. ended up in right punch up one day when he sconed my younger brother with a bag of heads doesnt muck about much young Scotty he flew over the fence and decked him in no time flat... had a nice chat to the wollopers that day

Anyways... here thankfully Im pretty much on my own... the two neighbors within cooee are a young bloke thats a workaholic and spends all of about 5 hours a day at night at home while the old bloke two doors down is far enough away to not hear a thing no matter what I do... so if I had power out there which I still dont I could easily keep goin till closing time and beyond without a murmur from anyone

Now the chainsaw might cause a few issues Id expect... but the time we did arc it up a bit early we gave some of the timber to the bloke two doors up for his fire and he was as happy as a flock of galahs... we now do enough for each of them once a month and it keeps them happy and no complainin... Id cut of their wood supply if they did!! and they know it ... and its cold nowadays

Nope you can have suburbia right up yer clacker... no give me the country any time I dont think theres anything that could entice me back to suburbia