Noise Level Assessment Report for Noosa Quad Bike Tours MCU12/0012

Noosa Quad Bike Tours
Environmental Noise Level Assessment of Quad Bike Rider Competency Assessment Circuit,
298 Tablelands Road, Cooran                                                                             Page 1 of 21



INTRODUCTION


Based on advice from Charles Marais Noosa Quad Bike Tours have all of the necessary approvals to
conduct quad bike tours on public roads and within the nearby National Park, in the Sunshine Coast
hinterland. These tours will be conducted with up to 12 quad bike riders, and all of the quad bikes will
be supplied by Noosa Quad Bike Tours.


Whilst some of the participants may have previous experience with riding a quad bike, others will not
and, therefore, the competency of the participants needs to be assessed prior to riding on public
roads. It is intended that this competency testing would be conducted on land owned by Charles
Marais and located at 298 Tablelands Road, Cooran. The small test/training ’circuit’ is located down a
steep decline from Tablelands Road in a gully, on the eastern side of Tablelands Road (with this road
generally running along a ridge in this area) with the closest residential being approximately:

          .   420 m to the north, 374 Tablelands Road;
          .   310m to the north-west, 335 Tablelands Road;
          .   350 m to the west, 301 Tablelands Road;
          .   200 m to the south, 268 Tablelands Road; and
          .   380 m to the south-east, 295 Tablelands Road.


The area between the proposed quad bike test/training circuit and these nearby residences is
predominantly densely vegetated. Refer to Figure 1 for more detail, including the approximate
location of the test/training circuit and these closest residences.


In accordance with an email from Rhian Davies, Environment Officer, Sunshine Coast Regional
Council, in early April 2012, Noosa Quad Bike Tours were required to conduct a noise assessment of
the quad bikes using the test/training circuit at 298 Tablelands Road, C oran, for up to 12 quad bikes,
to determine noise impact at all of the nearby residences (located as detailed above).


On Wednesday 18 April 2012 David Moore & Associates Pty Ltd conducted a noise assessment of the
quad bike to be used for the tours, namely a Kymco MXU 300 quad bike with automatic transmission
and a 270cc engine. This assessment was conducted with the quad bike being ridden around the
test/training circuit, together with a brief background noise assessment.

Quad bike noise levels were then calculated to all of the closest residences, with due consideration of
separation distance, intervening vegetation and topography, and up to 12 quad bikes using the
test/training circuit simultaneously. These calculations predicted the following quad bike noise levels
(for 12 quad bikes on the competency assessment Circuit) at the closest residential:

          .   335 Tablelands Road:             33.2 dB(A) LA1O,adj,T;
          .   301 Tablelands Road:             28.2 dB(A) LA1O,adj,T;
          .   268 Tablelands Road:             36.2 dB(A) LA10,adj,T; and
          .   295 Tablelands Road:             32.2 dB(A) LA10,adj,T.


This report suggested a noise limit of 38 dB(A) LA1O,adj,T, which all of the above predicted noise levels
comply with.
                                                                                                       conducted
Subsequent to this report being presented to Council, a third party review of my report was
                                                                                         & Associates
by Savery and Associates. A copy of this review has not been provided to David Moore
                         from Sunshine Coast Regional Council to Charles Marais  dated 18 June 2012,
Pty Ltd, but in a letter
Council stated:


’.  the council’s acoustic consultant has recommended that additional monitoring and assessment is
     ..




 required to a,dequately address potential noise issues associated with operation of the quad bike
 tours, including:-

          1. Undertake noise logging for at least 7days, at a suitable location representative of the
               surrounding houses;




 David Moore & Associates Pty Ltd                                        Our reference: R12054/D2670/Rev.1/23.07.2012