Living with construction

What is and isn't allowed and what you can do if you find yourself living or working near a construction site at some point.

This is your guide to dealing with some of the challenges that may arise when living near construction sites.

If you have any questions or concerns about a construction site, we encourage you to contact the builder directly. Often a direct and open line of communication is the best way to work through any issues you might experience.

Construction noise

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

By law, construction works in our City can only occur:

  • Monday to Friday 7 am to 6 pm (excluding public holidays)
  • Saturday 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.

For noise concerns, contact ASSIST on 03 9209 6777.

Civil matters

Civil matters relate to complaints of a non-criminal nature. They often involve lawsuits or court cases where one party believes they are owed money by another. Examples may include property damage or personal injury.

Any civil matters that you may experience are outside Council's powers to investigate or assist and are handled by the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria.

Most of the time, it's best to try and work things out with the builder directly before making a claim through the courts.

For civil matter concerns, contact Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria on 1300 372 888.

Environmental impacts

Environmental impacts from construction need to be managed by developers.

Their responsibilities include:

  • keeping noise to a minimum
  • managing waste and dust
  • keeping roads clean
  • protecting stormwater pits from sediment and waste
  • ensuring nature strips, trees and other public assets are safe from avoidable damage
  • complying with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines.

For environmental impact concerns, contact ASSIST on 03 9209 6777. Alternatively, contact EPA on contact@epa.vic.gov.au or 1300 372 842.

On-street parking

You might find that there is less on-street parking available in your area during construction. All vehicles, including construction vehicles, are required to comply with parking restrictions.

We issue on-street parking permits near construction sites to facilitate works, and to keep the community safe. Permits may be issued for oversized machinery, skip bins, deliveries, concrete pumping and demolition activities.

For parking concerns, contact ASSIST on 03 9209 6777.

Road closures

Partial or full road closures are occasionally required around construction sites when there is limited site access or to protect the community from risks caused by oversized vehicles, overhead cranes and demolition activities.

Before issuing permits for any type of road closure, we consider how traffic flow and access can be best managed. If a road closure is permitted, the builder is required to notify affected residents and businesses at least two business days in advance.

For road closure concerns, contact ASSIST on 03 9209 6777.

Unsafe building practices

Dangerous situations that may affect workers or the public should be reported. These include working from heights, material and manual handling, slips and falls, and the presence of hazardous materials.

For unsafe building concerns, contact Worksafe on info@worksafe.vic.gov.au or 03 9461 1555.