City of Sydney
- GPO Box 1591Sydney 2001
- 02 9265 9333
- [email protected]
Music and patron noise from licensed premises, entertainment venues, busy food and drink premises, commercial operations and industrial activities can create unwanted noise outside business hours. However, these businesses are subject to controls.
If you have a concern about a type of excessive noise listed above, you can report it to the City of Sydney. If we can’t investigate it, we can direct you to the appropriate organisation.
It’s important local businesses and venues in the city can thrive and financially recover from the extended lockdown. We want to ensure this is balanced with residential amenity.
Complaints about patron noise and loud music can be directed to us when the premises are located within the City of Sydney local area. Contact us to make a report.
Noise complaints about commercial operations and plant from most premises within the City of Sydney local area can be investigated by us. Contact us to make a report.
In most incidences, we’re the appropriate regulatory for investigating noise from smaller industrial operations. Contact us to make a report.
Please note, there are some premises or land that due to the property or land ownership, fall outside our authority. It’s the responsibility of other authorities to regulate, for example state government operations. In such cases we will refer you to the relevant authority.
Music and patron noise from restaurants, hotels, entertainment venues, large or late trading cafes and licensed premises can sometimes reach excessive levels. Conditions of consent are technical in nature and limit the overall level of noise, its frequency characteristics and its effect on both residential and noise sensitive commercial operations.
Our standard conditions of consent for controlling noise apply to most recently approved licensed premises within the City of Sydney local area. A non-technical summary of the entertainment noise limits typically used for a relevant premises as measured at neighbouring residential locations is provided below.
Typical issues associated with commercial premises include:
Typical issues with industrial noise will include the noise from the above operations when associated with an industrial premises. This includes activities such as manufacturing, heavy processes, dismantling and assembly, refining, servicing and repairing.
Development conditions of consent for noise also apply to most commercial operations and industrial activities within the City of Sydney local area. We apply a variety of noise conditions at the planning and development stage to reduce the risk of noise problems developing once a commercial operation has been approved.
Some premises may not have been subject to planning controls or there may be other circumstances leading to a noise nuisance. In such circumstances where we have been able to gather appropriate evidence and the noise impact has been assessed as excessive, we may be able to take action to address an environmentally unsatisfactory situation separate to a development approval.