Noise surveys 2007 - Changes and comparisons
Changes over time
Both the 2006 social survey and a similar survey in 1986 found that traffic and residential noise affect the greatest proportion of the community.
While the amount of traffic has increased in Melbourne, urban noise levels are generally similar to the 1970s. Newer vehicles being quieter may explain this. However, the social survey found that the percentage of people exposed and annoyed by traffic noise has increased since 1986. This would indicate that although the measured roads have similar noise levels, there are now more "busy" roads across Victoria, with more people living nearby.
Annoyance from construction and alarms has also increased. Annoyance due to TV/music noise has increased in the last 20 years, while barking dogs annoy less people now.
Comparison with other cities
A recent United Kingdom (UK) study of environmental noise levels shows Melbourne and the UK have similar noise levels throughout the day and night.
According to social research, Victorians experience environmental noise impacts similar to those in other Australian states and overseas.
Response to noise impacts
Over one in six respondents (18%) in the social survey say they have complained about noise to the authorities with complaints made primarily about neighbour noise and road traffic noise. Police (60%) and local government (25%) receive the majority of complaints.
Over one in ten respondents say they have tried to solve the noise problem themselves. Of these, 63% made changes to their homes or their habits and 37% tried to directly or indirectly resolve the problem through negotiation or demand. Changes to the home were the most effective. In these cases, such actions solved the problem in about half of the cases.
*LAeq 1hr – refers to the average sound level over an hour of measurement. It is also adjusted to be representative of the way people hear sound.
*dB – Decibel. The unit of measure for sound or noise.
| Time (hours) | Average noise level (LAeq 1hr dBA) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 2007 | |
| 0:00 | 50.5 | 47.0 |
| 1:00 | 48.0 | 45.7 |
| 2:00 | 44.7 | 43.6 |
| 3:00 | 44.8 | 43.6 |
| 4:00 | 44.8 | 44.2 |
| 5:00 | 47.0 | 46.7 |
| 6:00 | 50.5 | 49.6 |
| 7:00 | 53.6 | 53.6 |
| 8:00 | 57.6 | 55.8 |
| 9:00 | 58.0 | 55.6 |
| 10:00 | 56.7 | 55.5 |
| 11:00 | 56.5 | 54.9 |
| 12:00 | 56.0 | 54.7 |
| 13:00 | 56.3 | 54.8 |
| 14:00 | 56.3 | 54.1 |
| 15:00 | 56.5 | 55.0 |
| 16:00 | 56.8 | 56.1 |
| 17:00 | 57.1 | 55.3 |
| 18:00 | 56.6 | 55.2 |
| 19:00 | 54.9 | 53.4 |
| 20:00 | 54.5 | 51.8 |
| 21:00 | 53.2 | 49.9 |
| 22:00 | 51.7 | 50.1 |
| 23:00 | 52.7 | 48.3 |