Noise levels - keeping the peace
Complaints about excessive noise from licensed premises make up around 30 per cent of all complaints made to the Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing.
As a licensee, it is your responsibility to minimise the impact noise from your establishment on surrounding locality and to ensure it does not exceed set limits. This includes noise from:
• entertainment
• patrons at, entering or leaving the premises; and/or
• motors such as air conditioning units, generators etc
Ask yourself:
• are bottles and other refuse only being emptied into outside bins between the hours of 9am and 5pm?
• are motors being regularly serviced to deter belt whine and obtrusive bearing noise?
• is it necessary to run motors all night?
• can motors be baffled, or repositioned away from neighbours?
• is the volume of entertainment noise being monitored at least every 30 minutes near the source to ensure it does exceed predetermined limits?
• are speakers facing away from neighbours?
• have you walked outside to listen? (if the words to a song are clearly audible it's too loud)
• are noise limiting measures being implemented (eg. closure of windows and proper use of sound-lock doors)?
• have you considered double glazing your windows?
• are signs in place requesting patrons to be mindful of the neighbourhood?
• can you reposition the cab rank away from your neighbours?
For more information, download the fact sheet from the Fact Sheet section of the Publications and Resources pages.
Control of noise
The chief executive may impose conditions at the time of granting a new licence, (or in response to complaints received), if a venue is considered unable to sufficiently contain noise levels. Such conditions set volume levels for any amplified music or voices at the premises.
The criteria for imposing conditions are:
- if no entertainment is to be conducted, or no acoustic report is submitted, the licence will specify a noise condition limiting the source level of noise to 75dB(C)
- if an acoustic report indicates the premises can contain a specified noise level, a condition will limit any noise source to this level
All premises operating under a Commercial Other licence must be soundproofed to contain an internal source level of 110dB(C).
If you are considering entertainment for your licensed venue, you will need to use the services of an acoustic engineer or consultant (refer below).
Penalties
If an OLGR investigator has grounds to believe that noise from a licensed premises is unreasonable, the investigator may require the noise to be reduced or stopped, or the premises be closed.
The investigator will issue a written notice to the licensee or person in charge of the premises at the time.
Failure to comply with an order can lead to disciplinary action including one of the following:
- prosecution, which carries a maximum fine of $2,500 or
- show cause action, which can have results ranging from fines to cancellation of the licence
Acoustic consultants
If you are considering having entertainment at your licensed premises you will need to use the services of a qualified acoustic engineer or consultant.
Acoustic consultants conduct testing on your behalf and at your cost at your premises to determine the maximum allowable noise levels so as not to cause 'unreasonable noise' to nearby residents or businesses.
Queensland acoustic consultants who have asked to be included on the list of acoustic consultants (PDF 35 K).
Acoustic consultants undertaking an assessment of noise from licensed premises can download the following guideline (PDF 85 K).
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Last reviewed 20 November 2009
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