MCU12/0012 Request for Noise Impact Study

Subject: MCU12/0012 Noise Impact Study
From: Moving Along
Date: 2012-04-10T00:20:04+00:00
To: Internet Mailbox Sunshine Coast Regional Council, Jack Lewis

Dear Jack

Further to our email below, we wish to put forward some further requests in light of the absence of any evidence produced to date.

We request that the Noise impact study should also provide evidence of the impact of noise upon those properties and their residences that the Quad Bike Tour will pass by as they travel from 298 Tablelands Rd to the entry to the National Park, as well as those properties and residences that are adjoined to 298 Tablelands Rd.

Since 12 residents have made a statement saying that the "Noise will not be audible from their property" as a generic statement made in a proforma letter, a noise assessment by an acoustic consultant or engineer, as outlined below, should be provided to quantify this claim and to substantiate the requirements made in Part 14.21 Section O53 of the Noosa Plan, which states "The Home-based business does not interfere with the amenity of the neighbourhood from the operation of machinery or electrical equipment or from light, noise, vibration, smell, fumes, smoke, vapour, steam, soot, ash, grit, oil, dust, waste water, waste products, electrical interference, traffic generation or otherwise".

A qualified assessment is also required in order for the council to warrant that it has addressed all noise issues for those properties within this vicinity in the case that new owners take ownership in the next 12 months.

This request is also raised since it is clear and evident that an acoustic assessment has not been made prior to the submission of the proforma letters to the Council.  Should the statements made in the 12 proforma letters hold weight in the Council's decision in determining this material change of use as evidence that "Noise will not be audible" from the properties situated between 298 Tablelands Rd and entry to the National Park, then a qualified assessment needs to be undertaken to support that evidence.

Furthermore it is not sufficient to assess the impact of noise solely from the applicant's property, since the Home Based Business application clearly states that it will also make use of Tablelands Road as part of its operations. Therefore the impact of noise by the quad bike tours (12 quad bikes and 1 4WD) traversing Tablelands Rd, operating in full capacity, will also need to be assessed upon properties and residents that are situated between 298 Tablelands Road (and adjoining to it) and the entry to the Woondum National Park.

We make these requests to ensure that documented evidence by a qualified acoustic consultant is provided on the impact of noise for all properties within this vicinity mentioned, in the absence of any evidence to date.

Finally we should point out that it is questionable whether the development application is valid at all, since section S53.2 of PART 14 of the Noosa Plan document, “ASSESSMENT CRITERIA FOR DEVELOPMENT FOR A STATED PURPOSE OR OF A STATED TYPE” states that the noise from the home based business of significant scale should not be “audible beyond the site boundaries”; however the quad bikes will be travelling well beyond the home site of the applicant. Based on this, the acoustic assessment would need to prove beyond doubt that the quad bikes traversing the public road are COMPLETELY INAUDIBLE to anyone travelling along or residing along this public road, in order to meet this criteria. This would need to be backed up by substantiated, verifiable evidence through independent testing.

Please contact us should you have any questions or concerns.

Kind regards,


Steve and Layla Fowler 





On 30/03/2012 2:24 PM, Moving Along wrote: 

	Dear Jack 
	
	We understand that you have requested that the applicant undertakes a Noise impact study based on the issues raised by local residents. 
	
	In order to ensure the objectivity of the acoustic assessment, we ask that the acoustic assessment, requested by the council, be made conditional that it be prepared by an acoustic consultant / engineer who is a member of AAAC http://www.aaac.org.au/au/aaac/default.aspx and that the consultant sign a declaration that he/she and his/her company have no conflicts of interests in the assessment of this MCU. 
	
	We also ask the assessment include the noise impact of the entire activity: vehicles and people arriving and leaving the applicants premises, the noise made by the riders during the briefing and rider practice sessions as well as the noise level of the activity such as talking, laughing, clapping, whistling, screaming, cheering etc.  Noise study should incorporate the impact based on the activity taking place 12 quad bikes plus 1x 4WD, twice a day, 7 days a week, 360 days a year as this is the full intention of the proposal for which the noise needs to be measured. 
	
	We also request the assessment be based on the actual make, model, size, engine, capacity and number of 12 quad bikes that the applicant will actually use in his proposed tour. 
	
	We do not feel it is sufficient or suitable evidence for the applicant to undertake his own study.  There is a need for transparency, objectivity and for a professional expert consultant member of the AAAC to prepare and conduct the assessment without conflicts of interest. 
	
	We also ask the details of the assessment and its findings be uploaded to PD Online in accordance with the Council's guidelines as soon as they are made available. 
	
	We make these requests to ensure a suitably qualified study is carried out from the commencement of this study. 
	
	Please contact us should you have any questions or concerns. 
	
	Kind regards, 
	
	Steve and Layla Fowler