Environmental Amenity

3 - Environmental Amenity

Environmental Amenity

Acoustic amenity

Objectives
  1. O.1To ensure that the siting and design of buildings minimises noise impacts from abutting major roads and other noise-generating land uses.
  2. O.2To ensure that commercial or industrial development does not unreasonably diminish the amenity of nearby residential uses from noise intrusion.
Design Principles
  1. P.1Where dwellings are proposed within proximity to noise-generating land uses such as major roads and rail corridors, entries, halls, storage rooms, bathrooms and laundries should be located on the noise affected side of each dwelling and should be able to be sealed off by doors from living areas and bedrooms where practicable.
  2. P.2Where dwellings are proposed within proximity to noise-generating land uses, appropriate materials with acoustic properties should be incorporated such as solid core doors with seal vents and insulation and suitably treated glazing.
  3. P.3Non-residential development is not to adversely affect the amenity of adjacent residential development as a result of noise, hours of operation and/or service deliveries.
  4. P.4Council may require a report by an acoustic consultant to be submitted with development applications for noise generating developments or for residential developments on sites adjacent to noise generating sources such as major roads and rail corridors.
Design Standards
Residential Development
  1. S.1Internal habitable rooms of dwellings affected by high levels of external noise are to be designed to achieve internal noise levels of no greater than 50dBA.
Further Information
  • Building Code of Australia
  • Environmental Protection Authority NSW Industrial Noise Policy
  • Environmental Protection Authority Environmental Criteria for Road Traffic Noise
  • Roads and Traffic Authority Reducing Traffic Noise - a Guide for Home Owners, Designers and Builders
  • Relevant Australian Standards, including:
    • AS 3671 Road Traffic Noise Intrusion
    • AS 1055 Parts 1, 2 and 3 - 1997 Acoustics - Description and Measurement of Environmental Noise
    • AS 2107 - 1987 Acoustics - Recommended design sound levels and reverberation times for building interiors
  • Rail Infrastructure Corporation (RIC) & State Rail Authority (SRA) Interim Guidelines for Councils: Consideration of Rail Noise and Vibration in the Planning Process
  • RIC & SRA Interim Guidelines for Applicants: Consideration of Rail Noise and Vibration in the Planning Process
  • RIC web site - www.ric.nsw.gov.au