Overview
- Consultation period
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Contact details
NSW Environment Protection Authority
What’s this about?
Share your feedback on the draft Protection of the Environment Operations (Noise Control) Regulation 2026 to help protect the community from offensive noise.
Why it matters
- Impacts of noise can vary from short term effects such as sleep disturbance and irritation, to longer term effects such as stress, anxiety and health impacts.
- The Noise Control Regulation specifies rules and regulatory options for managing noise from motor vehicles, marine vessels and common neighbourhood sources.
- The EPA has reviewed the regulation to ensure it provides the best approach to protect the community from offensive noise.
Why we're consulting
The draft regulation has been developed in consultation with key community, industry and government stakeholders to ensure it remains robust, practical and fit for purpose.
We're holding this public consultation so all stakeholders, including the general public, have an opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed changes. Your feedback is highly valued and will help to finalise the regulation.
The review has been informed by noise data and extensive research, and aims to achieve a balance between the community’s right to peace and quiet and the right to conduct legitimate, although potentially noisy, activities. The draft regulation better responds to contemporary challenges while ensuring controls remain appropriate and workable.
What's being proposed
We invite you to review the draft Regulation and Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS), and share your feedback.
To help you understand the proposed changes, you can also access a summary of changes document.
We're seeking your views on key proposed changes, including:
- extending liability for offensive noise from vehicles used on private property
- exempting noise triggered by child presence detection alarms from the noise requirements for motor vehicle intruder alarms and horns
- including a broader range of noise‑making devices related to marine vessel noise
- extending the permitted hours of use for air conditioners and pumps
- simplifying labelling requirements for grass‑cutting machines, pavement breakers and mobile garbage compactors
- exempting certain articles from labelling requirements due to technological or safety advancements, such as robot lawn mowers
- extending the time frame for regulators to investigate and issue penalties, and increasing penalty amounts, for certain noise offences.
These changes aim to ensure that the regulation continues to effectively protect communities from offensive noise impacts.
You can provide your feedback by:
- completing the survey, approximately 20 minutes
- providing a written submission via email to: noise.reform@epa.nsw.gov.au
Your input will help shape the final regulation, so that it continues to protect NSW communities from offensive noise.
Have your say
Have your say by 5pm Wednesday 11 March 2026.
You can provide feedback in 2 ways.
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