By Charlene Macaulay
Wyndham residents have dobbed in their neighbours more than 1200 times over the past four years for noisy air-conditioning, barking dogs and other noise complaints.
Figures obtained by Star Weekly reveal a total 917 residential noise complaints were received over the 2014-17 calendar years, which includes noise generated by other residents, but not barking dogs or construction. A further 321 complaints were made about barking dogs over the same period.
Wyndham council city operations director Stephen Thorpe said the top five most common residential noise complaints were about the sound of air-conditioning, amplified music, power tools, barking dogs and construction noise.
Mr Thorpe said the council had the power to investigate noise complaints and, where relevant, can serve abatement notices, improvement notices, prohibition notices, fines and, in extreme cases, can prosecute.
He said the number of business and commercial noise complaints was significantly lower because those complaints were typically investigated by the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation.
The EPA is currently undertaking a review into its residential noise regulations, with the current regulations due to expire on October 14.
It has recommended that residents be able to use their air-conditioners until 11pm each night, instead of the current curfew of 10pm. It also recommends an exemption to these prohibited hours during Heat Health Alerts.
This is despite air-conditioner noise rating as one of the most complained-about noise sources, according to the EPA’s regulatory impact statement.
“[However], there is a trend toward increasingly quiet electrical appliances,” the statement read.
Mr Thorpe said Wyndham council provided feedback as part of the review.
“A change we’d like to see is a greater public awareness on the role and responsibilities of the various agencies that investigate noise complaints,” he said.
