Latest news with #noise
News.com.au
a day ago
- News.com.au
Health troubles, lower home values: life in Vic's noisiest areas
Hundreds of Victorians are dobbing in rowdy licensed venues, tradies and industrial sites as they get fed up of living in the state's loudest locations. Melbourne's CBD and inner suburbs aren't the only hotspots causing headaches with outer suburban, regional and rural areas also among the state's noisiest hotspots. Authorities are putting those who flout excessive noise laws on notice, after the Environment Protection Authority Victoria recently dished out five-figure fines to a pub, concert organisers and even drivers. EPA Victoria figures show that Melbourne's CBD topped its list of the state's noisiest areas with 320 complaints lodged regarding entertainment venues, shops, offices and construction sites from June 2024 to May 2025. For similar reasons, nearby Docklands had 157 grievances registered and South Yarra 133 complaints within the time frame. And Victoria Police received 636 noise notifications for Melbourne's CBD from January to December 2024. However, this does not mean that members of the public made more than 630 calls to triple-0. Rather, the data reflects how many noise-related events police were contacted about – whether they received one call or multiple calls per individual matter. But it wasn't actually Melbourne that topped the police list for noisy events. The top spot was claimed by the town of Mildura with 728 incidents across last year. However, inner Melbourne areas featuring plenty of licensed venues and shopping strips, such as Northcote (653 complaints), Collingwood (517) and Richmond (497), were among the worst offending areas as well. EPA Victoria's executive director of operations Rachel Gualano said one third of noise reports that the agency received were passed onto local councils. Councils and police deal with residential noise complaints, while the EPA handles commercial and industrial cases. In the past decade, the state's EPA has adopted a greater focus on preventing excessive noise under the Environment Protection Act 2017, including sound that poses a risk to human health. 'Over the past year, EPA has issued fines of nearly $10,000 each, conducted successful prosecutions in court with even larger fines and refused licence applications on concerns over noise at a proposed facility,' Ms Gualano said. In April, the EPA refused waste management company Veolia's licence development application to build a waste transfer station at its Hampton Park site for reasons including that it would pose unacceptable risks to human health primarily from odour and noise emissions. Veolia has appealed the decision to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal with hearings set for August. Melbourne-based buyers' advocate Amy Lunardi said that residential properties near noisy sites could be valued lower than other homes in their respective areas, both by buyers and bank valuers. 'And noise can impact local prices – properties near freeways or factories will sell for less than others in quiet streets in the same suburb,' Ms Lunardi said. The University of Melbourne's Dr Ang Li was lead author on a 2021 study that examined the impact of environmental noise on mental health and psychological distress as reported by 31,387 Australians. 'Environmental noise might seem like a source of mere annoyance but there is robust evidence that noise exposure is a risk factor for a range of health conditions including sleep disturbance, cognitive impairment, cardiovascular diseases, and mental health,' Dr Li said. 'People experiencing frequent noise from loud traffic, airplanes, trains or industry in their local neighbourhood had poorer mental health, with loud traffic noise being more impactful.' The Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award senior research fellow said that moving away from frequent noise exposure was associated with improved mental health in study respondents. 'While people across all age groups can be impacted by environmental noise, children and adolescents are more sensitive to noise exposure in terms of cognitive and behavioural impacts and older adults are more vulnerable in terms of cardiovascular disease,' she added. Suburb or town: Melbourne. Number of complaints: 320 Docklands 157 South Yarra 133 Coburg 119 Brunswick 116 Eaglehawk 108 Airport West 105 Preston 97 Warrnambool 97 Elaine 92 Source: EPA Victoria, June 2024 to May 2025. VICTORIA'S NOISIEST AREAS: VICTORIA POLICE STATS Suburb or town: Mildura. Number of complaints: 728 Northcote 653 Melbourne 636 Tarneit 525 Collingwood 517 Richmond 497 North Melbourne 440 Reservoir 432 Shepparton 383 Frankston 377 Source: Victoria Police, January to December 2024. Data is for unique events (not individual calls) for noise complaint events. HOW HOME BUYERS CAN TRY TO AVOID NOISY NEIGHBOURHOODS – Do your due diligence. Spend time walking around the area to see how noisy it can get. – Ask neighbours where you want to buy about noise levels. – Check local social media groups and community forums for noise issues, or join them to ask the question yourself. – Research what's nearby: for example pubs, factories, freeways, train lines or airports. – Call the local council to ask about planning applications but be aware some projects, such as single dwelling renovations, might not require a permit. – Buying into a building with an owners' corporation? Look at previous meeting minutes to see if noise issues have arisen in the block. – Be aware of big infrastructure projects slated for a suburb or town, plus their starting dates. – Understand that many highly-populated and dense urban areas are going to involve some level of noise. – If you're thinking about buying close to a location that is known to emit noise, such as an airport, spend a few days in the area to see how the sound levels impact upon you. Source: Buyers' advocate Amy Lunardi. EPA VICTORIA RECENT NOISE ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS August, 2024: A California Gully man was issued a $1100 fine for having an excessively noisy vehicle. Police reported the man's Holden sedan to the EPA Victoria but he failed to have the car tested, make any necessary repairs and produce a certificate of compliance by June 26, 2023. The motorist then failed to appear in the Bendigo Magistrate's Court when the case came up last year. Unluckily for the driver, he was fined $2500 and ordered to pay $502 in court costs. October, 2024: The EPA and Victoria Police teamed up for an operation across two nights in Mildura. Nine vehicles were found to be excessively loud due to having non-permitted exhaust modifications. The vehicles' owners received noise testing notices and faced fines of up to $1000 each. December, 2024: A pub at Traralgon and its company director were convicted and fined $15,000 each after complaints of excessive noise. The hotel was charged after the EPA repeatedly gave operators advice on how to address the noise, issued a prohibition notice and used electronic surveillance to monitor the matter. March, 2025: A $9880 fine was handed down to the organiser of a New Year's Eve concert in Melbourne's western suburbs. The organiser failed to comply with a deadline which required them to report to the EPA about how they had planned to mitigate excessive noise levels at the event and manage any related complaints. Want to report noise? Details:
CTV News
a day ago
- General
- CTV News
Too noisy? These are some of the sounds that drive Toronto residents up the wall
Some of the most frequent noise concerns expressed by CP24 readers are shown in this word cloud. Ingrid Buday still remembers how she felt when vehicle noise started ramping up outside her apartment in Toronto's west end several years ago, depriving her of rest and making it impossible to work. 'I got angry. I got really angry because it was my sleep that was disturbed,' Buday recalls. While she's lived in her home near the Gardiner Expressway for 12 years, it was just in 2019 that she started hearing backfiring cars and noisy mufflers at all hours of the night, leaving her so tired that she was 'dragging' herself to work in the morning. 'There was no way that I was going to be able to function and and go to work and get up and do the commute and everything else and so I was super angry,' Buday says. She went out and bought a sound level meter and started collecting data, which showed her apartment was experiencing loud noise spikes overnight and that she wasn't 'nuts.' She reached out online and soon discovered that there were many other people grappling with incessant noise. 'It turns out, there's a lot of people that are annoyed, but we've been gaslit for decades about how noise impacts our health and (told) that we're the problem,' says Buday, who started the group 'No More Noise Toronto,' which lobbies for better noise policies. It turns out that Buday and her group are indeed not alone. A recent callout from CP24/ CTV News Toronto soliciting stories about noise in the GTA garnered dozens of responses. From Leaf blowers to midnight garbage trucks to protests and endless construction noise, GTA residents are dealing with a barrage of assaultive noise keeping them up at night, keeping them from working and relaxing in the day, and generally keeping them annoyed. 'And that's what I've heard from a lot of people, is they are just they're angry because they are being impacted -- their sleep, their nervous system, they get headaches, they can't focus, and then the long term effects,' Buday says. Dozens of readers wrote in to describe, in detail, what the sometimes inescapable and grinding sounds of the city do to them. Nick Iozzo lives in the Casa Loma area. He says that when he moved into his home, he never expected he'd be 'living near a nightclub.' But a few years ago, the castle started hosting more outdoor concerts and events. After putting up with the noise for several years and getting nowhere with bylaw officers and city officials, Iozzo spent $40,000 to install soundproofing on most of the windows facing the venue. 'It's cheaper than moving,' he reasons, adding, 'We didn't have much choice. They weren't going to listen.' He says he feels revenue at the city-owned venue was prioritized over the well-being of residents in the area, and says the same thing is happening at the new Rogers Stadium in Downsview Park, where some residents have said they are dealing with disruptively loud noise from the stadium. Ingrid Buday Ingrid Buday of No More Noise Toronto poses at a construction site (Henry Vanderspeck /Submitted) Rochelle Rodney, 68, also thought she was moving into a quiet place when she moved to a low-rise rental building near the lake in Mimico in 2013. But just months after she moved in, she says, the building was bought by a real estate investment trust that installed an extremely noisy heat pump. She says her health has been 'destroyed' by the constant noise and vibration. 'Sometimes I feel that I am on the verge of a mental breakdown from ten years of sleep deprivation and constant stress and aggravation,' Rodney says. She adds she's gone so far as trying to sleep in her bathtub and closets to escape the noise, to no avail. Moving is not an option, Rodney says, as market rates would be much more expensive than what she pays now. City receives thousands of noise complaints In a statement responding to a general question about how noise is being dealt with in Toronto, the city said it is 'very active' in trying to address the problem. 'The City of Toronto continues to be very active in addressing residents' noise concerns and has been continually improving its service for residents in this area,' city spokesperson Laura McQuillan wrote. 'In a city as large and vibrant as Toronto, certain levels of noise are reasonable and reflect life in a densely populated city. The Noise Bylaw balances the city's vibrancy with the needs of residents and visitors and provides time restrictions and sound level limits for various types of noise.' She said complaints about noise are assessed on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with their assessed priority, but acknowledged that not every complaint receives a response. 'Given the volume of noise complaints, the city may not respond to complaints about isolated events that are unlikely to recur or occur very infrequently,' McQuillan wrote. 'Bylaw enforcement officers are also not emergency responders; they do not respond to noise complaints on an emergency basis and do not have the authority to immediately stop a noise event. In 2024, nearly 13,000 noise investigations were conducted.' In 2024, 311 received 10,173 complaints about noise and 7,898 complaints about amplified sound. So far this year, the city has fielded upward of 8,000 complaints about noise or amplified sound. According to data available on the city's website, 311 has so far this year received 4,709 noise complaints. That includes complaints about Stationary Motor Vehicle Noise (217); Animal Noise (1,026); Construction Noise (1,634); Unreasonable and Persistent Noise (1,079); and Stationary Source and Residential Air Conditioner Noise (481). In addition, there were also 3,577 complaints about Amplified Sound or Instrument Sound. Noise A sign at a construction site warns of high noise levels (Ingrid Buday /Submitted) Noise a problem across GTA While those who live downtown are sometimes told that noise is to be expected in large cities, CP24 readers wrote in from all corners of the city and across the GTA, including Pickering, Vaughan, Scarborough, Etobicoke and other areas. Jessica Cordoba, who lives in a ground-floor condo roughly 10 feet away from Highway 7 in Vaughan, says her life has been 'hell' because of the noise she's had to deal with from the street. She and her fiancé moved into the condo near Pine Valley Drive and Highway 7 in September while they were expecting a baby. 'I had no idea so many people owned motorcycles until I lived here. It's not like the people riding them are being courteous; they pass by with the loudest mufflers every 30 minutes, it seems like. Then the young people in their sports cars revving up just outside my balcony.' Nearly six months since her daughter was born, she says the noise from the highway 'has been a nightmare' for the family. 'Last night they were putting some black tar on the highway at 10 o'clock at night, and I had my five-month-old daughter sleeping in her nursery and this 18-wheeler decides to start honking while they're paving. I wanted to yell out of my balcony,' Cordoba says. She added it's often impossible to put her daughter down in her crib because of the noise. 'It's very, very, very hard, it just makes me upset. It's just not making the Woodbridge vibe, like it just makes me want to run.' She says she's told her fiancé she wants to move by the fall, but she's not sure they'll be able to sell because of the condo market. Councillor says efforts to combat noise ongoing Coun. Chris Moise is keenly aware of the issue. As the councillor for Ward 13, he's responsible for an area that includes much of the downtown core. 'It's a problem in the city,' Moise says. 'When I'm out and about, you know, people honking their horns, they're very impatient sitting behind the wheel of the cars. There's souped up cars on the road and there's a lot of construction in the city as well. In most cases, it's needed to keep our infrastructure running. So, it's something that we continue to manage.' He says that noise monitoring is in place around large public events such as festivals and concerts, and the city is using available technologies to mitigate noise where it can. Still, there's room for improvement. 'I've been working with MLS (Municipal Licensing & Standards) to reduce amplified noises in the core. One example, Moise says, is when it comes to people using megaphones and mics in the area of Yonge and Dundas streets. 'That has been a common complaint, because there are condos in that area and some people tell me that they work from home and they cannot work from home because of all the noise. And at night, when they try to sleep, they can't sleep,' Moise says. 'And when they approach these people, they either ignore them or they're verbally abusive.' Moise says MLS has conducted blitzes, taking away equipment and ticketing people. Signage has also been added letting people know that they are not allowed to use amplified sound. 'Vibrant doesn't need to equal loud' But Buday says the city could be doing much more. 'There's tons of solutions. The technology has changed. It's improved,' she says. 'There's automated noise cameras, there's all kinds of things. So we really want to both support the economy and Toronto. She adds that while Toronto may be working toward shedding its 'Toronto the good' moniker (read: boring), 'vibrant doesn't need to equal loud.' 'There's limiters that can be used, where you remove the base component (from sound systems) after 11 o'clock at night so, you know, people aren't being vibrated out of their beds.' Toronto noise Noise monitoring equipment is pictured on a balcony (Ingrid Buday /Submitted) With more thought and planning, Buday says, new buildings could incorporate better soundproofing, monitoring could be installed to measure noise around the city to ensure problems are identified and dealt with and automated tickets could also be handed out for excessively loud vehicles. Buday, who regularly appears at city hall to give deputations on noise, says city officials tell her that technologies are not ready yet, but she points out that cities like New York have already deployed them. She adds that noise is not just a nuisance; it's a health and equity issue and more could be done if there was a willingness to try and treat it as a serious problem with creative solutions. But some construction projects around the city continue to enjoy all-night noise exemptions, as do some entertainment venues. 'We've prioritized the corporate agenda over public health, and people are tired, they're grumpy, they're bitchy, and talk about people being stressed in public environments – all of that is just adding to it, because we all know how bad we feel when we don't have a good night's sleep, or we don't get to relax, and that's what's happening to some people on a chronic, continual basis.'
CTV News
6 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Are you a resident of the GTA bothered by endless noise? We want to hear from you
Sixty per cent of Ontarians believe their city or town has become noisier, a new survey reveals. (Pexels/Photo by Kampus Production) A new online survey has found that nearly 60 per cent of Ontarians believe their city or town has become noisier. The online survey was conducted by British Columbia firm Research Co. from May 19-21 and was based on the responses of 1,000 Canadian adults. The survey found that 63 per cent of respondents believe their town or city has become noisier over the last year, up from 54 per cent during a similar survey conducted in 2023. 'A third of Canadians say their home is noisier now than last year, while more than two-in-five feel the same way about their street,' a press release accompanying the survey reads. According to the press release, the most common complaints from residents are about noise from vehicles like motorcycles and cars 'revving up' while residents are inside their home. Dogs barking and construction-related noises like roofing, land clearing and the noise from heavy machinery came a close second. Additionally, more than one-in-five respondents said that they loud people outside homes, car alarms, loud music in vehicles and homes, and excessive honking, the report says. The survey also found that 16 per cent of Canadians have reported using earplugs to deal with the noise while inside their homes, while 11 per cent said they use noise cancelling headphones. 'The proportion of Canadians who have not taken any action to deal with noise inside their home has fallen from 74 per cent in 2022 to 67 per cent in 2023,' Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. says in an analysis accompanying the survey. 'Canadians aged 18 to 34 are more likely to be wearing earplugs or acquiring special hardware to mitigate noise.' The survey was weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region and is considered accurate to within 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Are you someone who lives in the Greater Toronto Area where noise has become a glaring issue? Do you have to find methods to manage it by using earplugs or similar hardware? Have you ever relocated due to noise concerns? CTV News Toronto wants to hear from you. Email us at torontonews@ with your name, general location and phone number in case we want to follow up. Your comments may be used in a CTV News story.
Washington Post
6 days ago
- Health
- Washington Post
Airplanes are loud and may damage your hearing. Here's what helps.
Even if you can ignore the sounds of crying babies and booming pilot announcements, airplanes can be loud. That's usually due to another constant noise that you may not notice when settling into a long flight: The roar of the engines. Despite advances in acoustic sound management, experts say this constant noise could be a source of discomfort and potentially even a risk to health and hearing. However, there is not much direct research on how airplane noise affects passengers.
Daily Mail
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Virginia Wade's old tennis club is torn apart by fears new padel courts will ruin peace with 'constant gunshots' noise
Virginia Wade's old tennis club is being torn apart by a row over the potential installation of new padel courts which members and locals fear could ruin the area's tranquility with 'constant gunshot' noises. An application was lodged in May this year to strip two of the 21 tennis courts out at Tunbridge Wells Lawn Tennis Club, Kent, and replace them with three padel courts. The club, which is one of Britain's oldest and is where Ms Wade - a three-time singles grand slam winner - honed her racquet skills, currently has nine artificial clay, eight grass and four tarmac courts. Two of the hard courts would be removed under the proposals, and worried residents fear the consequences would be drastic if Tunbridge Wells Borough Council give it the green light. Some said the sounds coming from the prospective new courts would be akin to hearing 'constant 'gunshots' while others said the 'peaceful ambience' of the club would be 'destroyed'. Writing on the council's planning portal, Charlotte Lawson said: 'I am both a member of Tunbridge Wells Lawn Tennis Club (TWLTC) and local resident and I strongly oppose the introduction of three uncovered padel courts at TWLTC as it will have a very negative impact on our enjoyment of the club, of playing tennis and of the club's beautiful surroundings. 'As the TWLTC Board has itself acknowledged noise levels will be loud causing significant disturbance to residents and members from early in the morning to late at night with the sound described as constant "gunshots" producing an average noise level of 60 decibels each time the ball hits the glass walls of the courts or solid plastic racquets. 'With tennis courts either side and directly in front of the proposed padel courts, the effect on tennis players' concentration and consequent enjoyment of their game will be significantly compromised.' The local also expressed concerns over traffic, parking, light pollution, and the impact on local wildlife. If approved, the padel courts would be open seven days a week - between 7am and 10pm on weekdays and 8am to 8pm on weekends. TWLTC's planning application additionally asks for permission to dig up three of the existing grass courts and replace them with three of either hard surface or clay. As a result, the club would be left with only five grass courts. On the council's planning portal, these controversial plans have already received more than 100 comments from locals. Another member, Margaret King, wrote: 'I am a member of TWLTC, and did not ask the club board to make this application. 'Replacing two hard tennis courts (courts three & four) with three padel court will destroy the peaceful ambience of Club. Noise levels from padel are very high, which will upset tennis players, let alone the neighbours. 'This will also impact on the already overcrowded parking.' Stephen Hutt, a member and local resident, added: 'My peaceful residence will have the sound of constant "gun" shots ricocheting around from a proposed 7am to 10pm six days a week and starting at 8am until 10pm on a Sunday! 'Our family dog is petrified of bangs and requires anxiety medication around bonfire night and cannot go on country walks when there is any form of audible shooting. 'This proposal will make her and our enjoyment of our garden untenable it will have a devastating impact on our life.' The historic club first opened in 1898 - comprising of a cricket pitch, athletic track, football ground, six tennis courts and some croquet pitches. In 1962-64 Ms Wade, who was a local schoolgirl at the time, won the Club Closed Ladies' Singles title. She went on to win three major titles, including Wimbledon in 1977, becoming Britain's most successful female tennis player. Many commenters fear the new plans contradict with the nature of the club, as well as raising concerns over flooding and anti-social behaviour. But not everyone is opposed to padel being accessible in their area, with some commenters stating that they think it is a welcome change. Local Susan Bourne wrote: 'We fully support this planning application. The nearest place currently to play paddle is Tonbridge. 'Having this facility in Tunbridge Wells will not only be a great resource for the local players it will also help reduce the use of cars and general traffic in and out of the town aiding the councils environmental initiatives. 'Padel is a great sport rapidly growing and suitable for all ages, having both physical and mental health benefits.' Member Kevin Pollock added that 'We must evolve in order to continue to exist as a club.' The design and access statement submitted to the council states that there is a 'clear gap in the market' in the town due to the popularity of tennis. The popularity of padel - which combines elements of tennis and squash - has soared in recent years, thanks to its basic skill level and social nature. The council will decide on the application at a later date.
