If you own, operate or manage an entertainment venue (venue) or an outdoor entertainment event (event), you're responsible for:
- managing risks of harm from your music noise emissions
- ensuring your music noise does not exceed noise limits.
The Noise protocol sets the protocol for determining noise limits and the methodology for assessing noise levels to determine if the noise is unreasonable.
We recommend you engage an acoustic consultant to help you with music noise assessments.
Alternative assessment locations
The Noise Protocol prioritises measurement points that:
- are within a noise sensitive area
- represent the greatest intrusion of music noise.
Noise sensitive areas are defined in the Environment Protection Regulations 2021. They include places where people live, learn or stay for recreational purposes, such as apartments, schools and hotels.
For indoor venues, the greatest intrusion of music noise is the highest emergence of music noise over the background level – for example, outside the bedroom window of a home near your venue, when your music noise is loudest.
For outdoor venues, this is when the highest music noise levels occur during your operating hours.
When it's not possible or suitable to measure the music noise at prioritised measurement points, you must use an alternative assessment location (AAL).
An AAL is a point where you take music noise measurements that's either:
- not located within a noise sensitive area, or
- located within a noise sensitive area, but not at the point that represents the greatest intrusion of music noise.
The music noise heard at your AAL must still represent what's heard in the noise sensitive area.
You must follow the Noise Protocol when using an AAL. You must be able to justify why you used an AAL.
Alternative assessment criteria
If you use an AAL, you must also set an alternative assessment criterion (AAC) for that location. An AAC is the maximum effective noise level (for example, a decibel value) that your music noise must not exceed when measured at the AAL.
An AAC is calculated to make sure your music noise is within noise limits when it reaches a noise sensitive area.
Calculating an AAC can be complex and needs:
- recognised sound modelling systems
- detailed understanding of how sound spreads and travels from point A to point B
- detailed understanding of the factors influencing how sound travels – for example, physical structures that may reflect or absorb noise, and the surrounding environment.
You must calculate a separate AAC for:
- each AAL
- each noise limit that applies during your hours of operation – for example, the day or evening period limit and the night period limit.
When to use an alternative assessment location
The Noise Protocol states:
- when you must use an AAL
- conditions for when you can use an AAL.
Cannot access the noise sensitive area
You must use an AAL when it's not possible to measure the music noise at a measurement point that represents the greatest noise intrusion within the noise sensitive area.
This applies to all venues and events. This could include when:
- access to the location is not permitted
- the location is not accessible.
Example 1 – cannot access an apartment impacted by music noise
Joline’s Bar operates Wednesday to Sunday 3 pm to 11 pm and plays music through an audio device. The bar is indoors and is located at the base of an apartment building.
People living in the apartment directly above the bar complain about the music. The owner turns down the music, but the complaints continue.
The owner calls an acoustic consultant to do a music noise assessment for the bar. This would include:
- checking the bar's layout
- determining noise limits
- taking measurements.
The consultant will assess the bar's compliance with the noise limits. They will also make recommendations if music emissions needed to be reduced.
The owner engages the consultant. The consultant determines the bar’s music has the greatest noise intrusion in the apartment directly above the bar. Sound is travelling through the ceiling, rather than through doors and windows.
The people living in the apartment do not agree to the consultant taking measurements from within their apartment. This means the consultant cannot measure where the music has the greatest noise intrusion. This means an AAL has to be used.
The consultant uses the bar as an AAL. They determine the noise limits for inside the apartment and model the sound pathway from the bar to the apartment. They then calculate the [alternative assessment criteria] (AAC) for the sound levels inside the bar. The AAC ensures the music will be within the noise limits once it reaches the apartment.
The consultant:
- provides the bar owner with the AAC for their music emissions during the day, evening and night periods
- advises on handheld sound level meters and on how to do ongoing measurements inside the bar
- recommends installing acoustic panels on the bar’s ceiling to help minimise the music heard in the apartment above.
The bar owner installs the acoustic panels and buys a noise monitor. They also create a schedule for staff to take music measurements inside the bar. They do this at different times during their operating hours to make sure they do not exceed their AAC or the noise limits.
Combined music noise
You can use an AAL if music from other venues or events combines with your music and contributes to the effective noise level at the noise sensitive area. The combined music noise from venues and events should be within noise limits in the noise sensitive area.
Each venue or event operator contributing to the music noise may need to use an AAL closer to their site. This allows each operator to measure their individual contribution.
Example 2 – multiple venues contribute to music noise
The Fisherman’s Pub hosts live music indoors on Friday and Saturday nights. The pub is close to a residential area, and the owner wants to understand if the music disturbs nearby residents.
The owner determines the noise sensitive area is the apartment building one block away. One Saturday night, the owner:
- stands outside the apartment building while a live band plays at the pub
- moves to the point where the music noise is the loudest (the greatest noise intrusion)
- can hear music coming from 2 other bars nearby
- measures the music noise and determines the effective noise level from the 3 venues is above noise limits.
The owner wants to know the pub’s individual contribution to the music heard at the apartment building. The owner asks the other bars to stop playing music for a short period on a Saturday night. However, they refuse.
In this situation, there are multiple sources of music. They are all contributing to the effective noise level at the noise sensitive area. The owner can:
- use an AAL to measure the music emissions at a location closer to the Fisherman's Pub, where the music from the other 2 bars does not influence the measurements
- use the AAL for ongoing monitoring of the pub’s music emissions.
Another measurement point is needed
You can use an AAL when a more suitable measurement point is needed to assess the music noise. This could be:
- if another source of noise (not music noise) is impacting noise measurements – for example, a continuous barking dog or people talking
- if the location within the noise sensitive area is not readily accessible.
Example 3 – barking dogs interfere with noise measurement
The Vino Express wine bar hosts an acoustic guitarist on Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons. The acoustic guitarist uses an amplifier and plays in the outdoor courtyard. The Vino Express receives complaints about the music from a nearby aged care facility.
The Vino Express wants to measure their noise to know if they are within the noise limits. They engage an acoustic consultant to conduct a noise assessment.
The consultant sets up a recording device outside a bedroom at the aged care facility. This location was found to be the noise sensitive area where the music would be heard the loudest.
In the recording, barking dogs are heard so frequently the music cannot be isolated and accurately measured. Due to the barking, a more suitable recording location is required, so an AAL can be used.
The consultant calculates the noise limits for the noise sensitive area. They assess the sound pathway and select 2 AALs. Both are closer to The Vino Express and away from the barking dogs. The consultant calculates AAC for the two AALs.
The consultant takes the noise recordings again at the AALs and finds The Vino Express is compliant with the noise limits.
The consultant tells The Vino Express that if they want to do their own ongoing monitoring, they could purchase a handheld noise meter. They could measure at both AALs using their AAC to assess if they met their noise limits. The consultant also recommends The Vino Express rearrange their courtyard. By changing the courtyard and sound equipment, they could reduce their music emissions.
Indoor venues impacted by atmospheric conditions
Indoor venues can use an AAL if atmospheric conditions influence what's heard at the noise sensitive area. Changes in the atmosphere – for example, wind, cloud cover, air pressure and temperature – can affect how sound travels. The further sound travels, the more influence these conditions can have.
If you take measurements at a noise sensitive area far from your venue, it might not represent the noise under different conditions. This can include when a noise sensitive area is located over 300 m away from your indoor venue.
Example 4 – a rural venue receives noise complaints
Sundown Hall is an indoor wedding venue on the edge of a lake with no close neighbours. As part of the wedding activities, the venue hosts DJs, live bands and acoustic musicians.
Sundown Hall receives noise complaints from people living across the lake. The owner is surprised the residents can hear their music. They are 500 m away on the opposite side of the lake.
A consultant advises the owner that atmospheric conditions are impacting their music emissions. Conditions could increase and decrease the effects of the noise. This is due to the distance between the hall (source) and the residential area (noise sensitive area). Conditions include:
- wind speed and direction
- atmospheric pressure
- temperature.
The consultant says their rural location likely has a low noise background level. This could make the music stand out more, particularly at night.
The consultant also says noise measurements within the noise sensitive area would not be suitable. They would not provide a complete understanding of the music heard by the residents under different conditions.
The consultant advises that AALs should be used to take measurements closer to the venue. The AAC would be calculated to factor in the different atmospheric conditions. This would make sure the music emissions are within the noise limits once they reach the noise sensitive area across the lake.
Acoustic consultants
Music noise assessments are technical. You need access to suitable equipment. An acoustic consultant, or someone with suitable experience in assessing music emissions, can:
- identify noise sensitive areas
- determine noise limits and assess compliance with the Environment Protection Act 2017 and the Environment Protection Regulations 2021
- identify whether the use of AALs are appropriate
- identify AALs and calculate AAC
- make recommendations to help comply with noise limits – for example, sound equipment, noise attenuation and administrative actions
- advise on how you can conduct ongoing monitoring using AALs
- advise on sound monitoring equipment.
To learn more, visit Work with a consultant.
If you do your own assessments to determine noise limits and assess your compliance with these limits, you must follow the Noise Protocol.
The guidance Measure and analyse industry noise and music noise can help you understand the Noise Protocol and how to measure and analyse music noise.
To conduct music noise measurements, you need to:
- use a suitable sound level meter calibrated by a NATA-accredited laboratory (smartphones and off-the-shelf sound meters are not accurate enough)
- understand the accuracy of the sound level meter you use, to consider the relevant margin of uncertainty for your results.
Proactive music noise measurements
As a proactive step towards understanding your emissions, you can measure your music noise levels at any time and location.
To make these measurements as indicative as possible for assessing potential risks of harm from your music:
- Follow the Noise Protocol to determine the noise limits that apply during your operating hours.
- If you measure music outside your venue, do this when and where your music noise is loudest:
- if the measurement is lower than the relevant noise limit, your venue is likely to be compliant with the noise limits
- if the measurement is higher than the relevant noise limit, you may need to reduce your music emissions and conduct a noise assessment.
- Note where noise sensitive areas are located for your venue.
- Consider the path that your music will travel. Measure your music where it best represents the impact on noise sensitive areas.
- Consider surfaces that can absorb and reflect sound. These might skew your measurements. For example, take measurements away from walls, and hold microphones away from your body.
- Record of all your measurements, including the date and time and the type of music.
Ongoing monitoring of music noise
You may only have access to noise sensitive areas for a short period of time. This may allow for an initial assessment to set noise limits and assess compliance, but not for ongoing monitoring.
In this case, you may be able to identify other locations for ongoing monitoring.
Follow these steps to get an indication of whether you are close to or above the noise limits:
1. Follow the Noise Protocol to determine the noise limits that apply during your operating times.
2. Review the Measure and analyse industry noise and music noise to help you identify locations for ongoing monitoring. Make sure you can access these locations during your operating times.
3. During the times each noise limit applies, increase and decrease the music volumes at your venue or event. While doing this:
- take music noise measurements within your noise sensitive areas, and
- take music noise measurements at your ongoing monitoring locations at the same time.
4. Change the music volumes until your music noise is within the noise limits at your noise sensitive areas. Then record the corresponding measurements (levels) at your ongoing monitoring locations. Use these levels for your ongoing monitoring.
If your venue, sound system and speaker set-up is always the same, monitoring levels at your mixing desk may also help you to manage your music emissions.
5. Monitor your music emissions at your ongoing monitoring locations. If your music emissions levels are close to the levels you recorded, it may mean you need to reduce your music emissions.
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