Further acoustic review required - MCU12/0012

Officer: 	Jack Lewis
Direct Telephone: 	07 5449 5183
Response Address: 	Locked Bag 72
	Sunshine Coast Mail Centre QLD 4560
Email:	[email protected]
Our Reference:	MCU12/0012
18 June 2012
Mr CJ Marais
PO Box 1111
NOOSA HEADS  QLD  4567
Dear Sir
Re:	Development Application for Material Change of Use - Home Based Business Type 3 (Quad Bike Tours), situated at 298 Tablelands Road, Cooran
I refer to the Environmental Noise Level Assessment prepared by David Moore & Associates dated 8 May 2012, submitted to support your application for a Home-based Business.
Council has engaged an independent acoustic consultant to review the Environmental Noise Level Assessment Report.  This review indicates that noise criteria have not been appropriately set and the noise impacts may be under-predicted. Preliminary calculations suggest that the noise levels associated with the use are likely to be in the order of 9dBA above background noise levels, and at this level noise from the use are likely to adversely impact on surrounding resident’s amenity.
Hence, the council’s acoustic consultant has recommended that additional monitoring and assessment is required to adequately address potential noise issues associated with operation of the quad bike tours, including:-
Undertake noise logging for at least 7 days, at a suitable location representative of the surrounding houses;
Determine appropriate background noise level taking into account insect noise;
Determine noise criteria using the DERM document Planning for Noise Control;
Measure noise levels for quad bikes ridden by an in-experienced rider (may be noisier than a competent rider), and include in the report;
Measure vehicle pass-by noise levels on Tablelands Road and volume of traffic, to allow comparison with future levels and volumes with quad bikes;
Confirm tonality calculation of 2dBA;
Provide information on 10dBA vegetation attenuation, particularly given clearing of vegetation on 298 Tablelands Road site since the older map used in the David Moore and Associates report;
Confirm separation distances to the nearest residences using more recent aerial photography maps;
Comment on the expected effect of noise travelling along the gully to residents and the “amphitheatre effect” with noise source relatively low and some houses at higher elevations. Additional noise measurements on site could be undertaken to clarify this effect.
Re-assess noise impacts using a suitable noise model (eg. SoundPLAN) to take account of the effect of distance, terrain, air absorption, ground effect and meteorological conditions, and comment on the effect under adverse propagation conditions (i.e. temperature inversions, light downwind). The assessment noise sources should include: quad bike noise, voices of instructors/ clients, staff and clients vehicles, maintenance of quad bikes and any other relevant sources (eg. Kawasaki Mule recovery vehicle noted in residents correspondence dated 6 June 2012);
The assessment should also include residences located along Tablelands Road and near the entrance to the national park (i.e. residences on Lots 335, 374, 382, and 398);
Comment on limiting hours of operation of tours to minimise the effect of noise annoyance on residents and temperature inversions (eg. 9am – 4pm);
Provide revised report including impact assessment of: quad bikes/ voices on circuit, quad bikes/ voices driving from circuit to tablelands Road, and quad bikes/voices and client/ staff vehicles on Tablelands Road.
Prior to proceeding with this additional monitoring and assessment, you may wish to investigate with your acoustic consultant, whether it is feasible to implement mitigation measures to reduce noise levels down to an acceptable level given the preliminary calculations.
Please confirm your intentions as to whether you wish to undertake this further work or would like council to proceed with deciding the application on the basis of the current information.  To discuss this matter further, please contact me or Jack Lewis on the above telephone number.

Yours faithfully,

Kerri Coyle
Coordinator, Planning Applications North

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