Noise complaints

Types of noise disturbances

• Residential noise

  Residential noise could come from a range of sources including renovations, audio equipment or machinery such as air conditioning units.

  Noise from loud parties should be referred to Victoria Police. Our officers are not able to attend these requests after hours.

  Under the Environmental Protection Act, it’s an offence to cause unreasonable noise from residential premises. Unreasonable noise is determined by its volume, intensity and duration.

  The best way to try and resolve the situation is to approach your neighbour and come up with a solution together.

  If you are unable to resolve the issue, report residential noise on My Port Phillip.

• Construction noise

  Many residents have concerns about excessive noise from construction works affecting their daily life.

  Under Council's local law, construction works in our City is permitted:

  • Mondays to Fridays 7 am to 6 pm
  • Saturdays 9 am to 5 pm

  There may be some circumstances that require construction work outside of these times, and we may issue an Out of Hours permit for this.

  In these instances, the builder is required to notify surrounding residents and businesses at least two business days in advance.

  Noise from building sites, including drilling, sawing, jack hammering and truck movements, is allowed during the permitted hours above, so Council is restricted in our ability to deal with noise at these times.

  If you are being unreasonably impacted by construction noise, the best first step is to contact the builder.

  If the noise is happening outside the guidelines and you require immediate assistance, please call us on 03 9209 6777.

  Otherwise report construction noise on My Port Phillip. We will contact you during business hours.

  For more information, visit living with construction. 

• Clubs, bars and restaurant noise

  Our municipality is a vibrant place with a range of nightlife and entertainment that is enjoyed by residents and visitors.

  The best way to solve noise issues from clubs, bars and restaurants is to contact the operator or manager of the venue to let them know the noise is impacting you.

  If you can't resolve the issue by contacting the venue and you require immediate assistance, you can contact Victoria Police. Our officers are not able to attend requests after hours.

  Our officers may be able to investigate if the venue noise is in breach of permit conditions.

  Report venue noise on My Port Phillip.

• Short stay accommodation and rentals

  Short stay accommodation is usually rented via online providers like AirBNB, Stays and Booking.com. Council does not specifically regulate short stay accommodation and rentals. But we do enforce relevant legislation, such as the noise regulations in the Environmental Protection Act 2017.

  Under the Act, it’s an offence to make unreasonable noise from any residence. There are also rules restricting noise in residential areas at certain times.

  If you’re affected by noise from a neighbouring property, try to talk to the neighbour or property owner first. They may not be aware there’s a problem.

  The EPA has advice for dealing with residential noise in their tip sheet:

  • Annoyed by noise? How to address residential noise issues.

  Noise from late night parties, unruly or anti-social behaviour and after-hours disturbances should be reported to Victoria Police:

  • Phone: 131 444 for non-urgent issue
  • Phone: 000 for emergencies

  Request an investigation into noise on My Port Phillip.

• Barking dogs

  Barking dogs are a nuisance and are not conducive to good neighbourly relations. Constant barking usually means the dog is bored, lonely, frustrated or ill.

  Dog owners must ensure their dogs do not annoy neighbours by barking excessively. It’s one of the duties of being a responsible pet owner.

  The first step is to read our barking dog kit which outlines the steps to follow. The barking dog kit also contains a letter template to help you make contact with the dog owner if a conversation isn't possible.

  For full details and to download the kit, visit animal nuisance.

  Once you have read the kit and completed the barking dog diary report the issue on My Port Phillip.

• Roadworks

  Works to roads in the municipality may be done by utility providers, State Government or Council.

  Utility providers, including water, telephone and power companies, often undertake roadworks to repair or enhance services. These works can be performed legally at any time of the day. It is best to contact the utility provider directly with any noise issues.

  If you are impacted by noise from roadworks being done by the City of Port Phillip report the issue on My Port Phillip.

• Waste collection and street cleaning

  To reduce the impact on traffic in busy streets, waste collection and street cleaning often happens outside of peak hours.

  If you are impacted by noise from street cleaning or waste collection services, report the issue on My Port Phillip.

• Festivals and events

  The City of Port Phillip has a long history of being one of Melbourne’s prime outdoor event
  locations. Council recognises that while events can bring many benefits to a community, there is also the potential for outdoor events to cause noise related impact.

  All outdoor events are required to have a noise management plan in place to show how they will monitor noise levels, and noise monitoring must be undertaken.

  If you are impacted by event noise, report the issue on My Port Phillip.

• Vehicle noise

  If you're impacted by the noise of loud vehicles hoon driving in the streets of the municipality, you can report this to Victoria Police.

  Victorian law defines hooning as any offence involving behaviours that compromise road safety.