Question On Notice No. 2884 asked in the Legislative Council on 2 April 2020 by Hon Alison Xamon
Question Directed to the: Minister for Environment
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
Question
I
refer to the Special Entertainment Precincts Reform project, and I ask:
(a) what ongoing noise monitoring and evidence-based
assessment has been, or is currently undertaken in the proposed Northbridge
Special Entertainment Precinct ‘core’ and ‘frame’ areas to inform the
Government’s decision making;
(b) could the Minister please specify the location
of any and all noise monitoring stations in this area:
(i) please provide information on the number of
times per annum each station exceeds:
(A) 55dB;
(B) 79dB;
(C) 90dB; and
(D) 95dB;
(c) could
the Minister please clarify if any breaches of DWER’s noise limits were found
during the few days of noise monitoring undertaken during the Northbridge Noise Monitoring Report
activities:
(i) if yes to (c), was that information passed on to the
City of Perth and were any enforcement activities undertaken;
(d) what noise monitoring regime will the Government
recommend to local councils to ensure that residents, workers and customers are
not subject to unhealthy noise;
(e) how many residents of Northbridge are within
each of the proposed ‘core’ and ‘frame’ areas;
(f) how many persons staying in short term
accommodation (hotels, Bed and Breakfasts and back packers are housed on an annual
basis in each of the proposed ‘core’ and ‘frame’ areas; and
(g) how many venues considered to be
noise-generating are within each of the proposed ‘core’ and ‘frame’ areas?
Answered on 9 June 2020
(a)-(d) The Special Entertainment Precinct reform project has not yet been finalised and is still subject to assessment of regulatory impacts. The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) released a consultation paper Managing amplified music noise in entertainment precincts for consultation from November 2019 to February 2020. The paper includes an option for establishing Special Entertainment Precincts that involve planning reforms complemented by amendments to the Noise Regulations. The proposed amendments to the Noise Regulations will allow for the CEO of the City of Perth to issue a venue approval to venues within the Northbridge Special Entertainment Precinct. The venue approval will set regulatory limits on the venue’s noise emissions consistent with the levels set in the City of Perth’s (proposed) scheme amendment. Noise monitoring of the venues’ noise emissions would be at the discretion of the City of Perth.
(e) DWER has been advised that there are 149 existing residential properties in the ‘core’ and 609 existing residential properties in the ‘frame’ of the proposed special control area outlined in Attachment 13.22A to the City of Perth’s 26 November 2019 Ordinary Council Meeting agenda papers.
(f) DWER does not maintain this information.
(g) The City of Perth and the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage have advised DWER that there are 41 noise generating venues in the proposed ‘core’ and 18 noise generating venues in the ‘frame’.