Commercial, industrial and trade noise includes most noise from any place that is not a residential premises. This includes:
- farms
- factories
- mines and quarries
- offices
- public buildings
- schools
- shops
- utility infrastructure for power, water and telecommunications.
Commercial, industrial and trade noise does not include:
Commercial, industrial and trade noise and the law
The general environmental duty applies to managing commercial, industrial and trade noise.
Noise from commercial, industrial and trade premises must not be unreasonable or exceed noise limits. If noise exceeds the noise limit by a certain amount, it is aggravated noise. Aggravated noise is a serious offence, and significant penalties apply.
Businesses are responsible for noise made by contractors or tradespeople they hire.
In some cases, you must get permission to conduct a business or industry activity. Our permissions focus on activities that may have a significant impact on human health and the environment. Permissions have conditions that must be followed. These may include conditions to manage commercial, industrial and trade noise.
Noise limits
Noise limits apply to commercial, industrial and trade premises of all sizes.
Noise limits do not apply to noise from roads and railways, and residential noise. A different method is used for setting noise limits for wind turbines.
Noise limits for your business depend on:
- land use zoning in a planning scheme
- the location of noise-sensitive areas
- existing background noise
- what time of day the noise occurs
- any noise from other businesses nearby.
The Noise limit and assessment protocol for the control of noise from commercial, industrial and trade premises and entertainment venues (Noise Protocol) sets methods for determining noise limits.
There are 2 methods for setting noise limits for commercial, industrial and trade noise, depending on the location where the noise is being assessed:
- major urban areas, including large regional towns, cities and the outskirts of Melbourne
- rural areas.
Major urban areas
In major urban areas, the noise limits are based on:
- land use zoning around the noise-sensitive area
- measurement of the background sounds without noise from industry.
Each land use planning zone is given a designated type used to calculate noise limits:
- type 1 – residential, rural and open spaces
- type 2 – commercial, business and light industry
- type 3 – general industry and major roads.
Higher noise levels are generally allowed close to industrial areas. Lower levels generally apply in residential or rural living areas.
Tables A.1, A.2 and A.4 in annex A of the Noise Protocol list designated types in major urban areas. Visit DataVic to see a full list of designated types(opens in a new window), including types for newly created planning zones.
From 1 July 2021, the proposed use of land where a public acquisition overlay applied to the land and other proposed uses set out in the old framework under SEPP N-1 are no longer factored in the calculation of noise limits in major urban areas.
Rural areas
In rural areas, the Noise Protocol provides different methods for setting noise limits for:
- utilities, including telecommunications, battery storage, gas, oil, water and sewerage infrastructure
- earth resources premises.
Farms and agriculture
Under the Environment Protection Regulations 2021(opens in a new window), some sources of noise are not assessed against the noise limits. These include:
- livestock on a farm or in a saleyard
- mobile farm machinery
- frost fans
- scare guns.
The following guidance is used to assess unreasonable noise from:
- frost fans – see Guidelines on noise from frost fans
- scare guns – see section 12 of the Noise control guidelines.
Our role in commercial, industrial and trade noise
We co-regulate commercial, industrial and trade noise with local government. Learn more about Who we work with.
We develop guidance to help businesses understand the law and manage commercial, industrial and trade noise. For example, Noise from outdoor shooting ranges provides recommended levels for gunshot noise from shooting ranges.
We provide advice to local government to use when they make planning decisions and investigate noise complaints.
We investigate noise complaints about commercial properties and industrial facilities. These include:
- concrete batch plants
- facilities with large air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment
- manufacturing plants
- transfer stations and recycling facilities.
We enforce the law to protect human health and the environment. We can issue a remedial notice or direction if a business:
- creates unreasonable or aggravated noise
- does not comply with the general environmental duty.
Impact of noise on your health
Noise can be annoying or disturbing. If the noise continues for a long time or is too loud, it can affect your health and wellbeing. Learn more about noise and your health.
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