Recognising how our moods can influence our response helps us to know when others really are behaving unfairly. However, if neighbourhood noise is a genuine problem for you, there are a number of options you can take. Firstly , try to solve the problem amicably by talking it over with whoever is causing the noise. These are government-funded but independent centres that specialise in settling differences between neighbours without getting into complicated legal processes. Other formal actions you can take for recurrent noise problems are set out below.
Councils have powers to issue a notice for many of the offensive noise problems in the community.
The notice can require the noise-making activities to be restricted to certain times of the day or certain days. Failure to comply with the notice could lead to prosecution. Under section 268 of the POEO Act, if you are affected by offensive noise, you can make a complaint to a justice of the peace. The justice may summon the person alleged to be making the noise to appear before the Local Court. If the court is satisfied that there is offensive noise or that it is likely to recur, it may order the person to stop the noise or prevent a recurrence.