Noise report 2013

Ricky's Noosa
Environmental Noise Level Impact Assessment for External Dining Areas Located
Within Sound Park, Noosa Parade, Noosa Heads                                                              Page 4 of 25




CRITERIA

All noise level measurements were conducted in accordance with the following:

•   general requirements of the Queensland environmental protection legislation;

•   Environmental Protection (Noise) Policy 2008;
                                                                                                              rd
•   Noise Measurement Manual, Queensland Government, Environmental Protection Agency, 3
    Edition, March 2000;

•   Australian Standard AS 1055.1-1997, Acoustics – Description and Measurement of Environmental
    Noise, Part 1, General Procedures.


NOISE LIMITS

The noise sources associated with external dining are the noise of people talking, laughing, with some
occasional ‘shouting’ and whistling, and possibly clapping (eg. if it was a birthday party), chairs
scrapping, cutlery banging, etc. All of these potential noise sources are time-varying.

For time-varying noise sources a “like parameter” criteria has been adopted for the daytime and
evening periods and a sleep disturbance criteria for the night-time.

The time-varying noise source criteria for the daytime and evening is that the noise source should not
result in significant deterioration of the existing acoustic amenity, relative to the closest residences.

In accordance with Hassall, J R & Zaveri, K, Acoustic Noise Measurements, Bruel & Kjaer, Denmark,
January 1979:

         “… The following short table shows the subjective effects of changes in noise levels.

                             Change in Noise Level                 Subjective Response
                                         3                             just perceptible
                                         5                           clearly perceptible
                                        10                           twice as loud … “

For time-varying noise sources the selected noise limit criteria should ensure that the existing acoustic
amenity does not significantly deteriorate. From the above reference, a change in noise level of 5
dB(A) is clearly perceptible, whereas a change of 3 dB(A) is only just perceptible. On this basis, the
noise limit for time-varying noise is that, for like parameters, the source noise level combined with the
ambient noise level should not exceed the ambient noise level by more than 3 dB(A), after due
consideration of tonality and impulsiveness.

For the night-time, the ‘sleep disturbance’ noise limit criteria is that of the World Health Organisation
document Guidelines for Community Noise, 1999:

         “… For a good sleep, it is believed that indoor sound pressure levels should not exceed
         approximately 45 dB(A) LAmax more than 10-15 times per night. …”

This is the noise limit that has been adopted for the night-time period and is assessed for inside the
closest residences (whereas the time-varying noise limits for daytime and evening are external to the
residences). Given the size of the habitable room window (openable section) for each of the Noosa
Shore Resort apartments facing QPlace (estimated to be 10% of the area of the external wall for this
habitable room – most likely a bedroom), this 45 dB(A) LAmax internal noise limit would be the same as
55 dB(A) LAmqx outside this habitable room, with the window open.




David Moore & Associates Pty Ltd                                          Our reference: R13103/D2829/Rev.0/10.10.2013