MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1977
5
GOVERNMENT DISCUSSING CODE OF
PRACTICE ON NOISE WITH CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
******
THE ENVIRONMENT BRANCH IS HAVING DISCUSSIONS WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AIMED AT PRODUCING A CODE OF PRACTICE ON NOISE.
THIS WAS REVEALED TODAY (MONDAY) BY PRINCIPAL ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF ENVIRONMENT BRANCH, MR. TONY BENNETT, AT A LUNCHTIME SPEECH TO THE VICTORIA ROTARY CLUB.
MR. BENNETT SAID DISCUSSIONS HAD BEEN OPENED ON THE CODE OF PRACTICE +BINDING UPON THE AUTHORISED PERSONS+ WHICH WOULD REQUIRE THE USE OF SOUND REDUCED CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT OR THE ATTACHMENT OF MUFFLING DEVICES.
MR. BENNETT SAID: +WHAT WE HAVE IN MIND IS A KIND OF SELF- REGULATORY DEVICE WITHIN THE INDUSTRY, AND I THINK THAT REPRESENTATIVES OF THIS INDUSTRY CAN SEE THAT SUCH A MUTUALLY AGREED METHOD OF CONTROL WOULD BE PREFERABLE AND, NO DOUBT, MORE PRACTICABLE, THAN A SYSTEM OF CONTROLS UNILATERALLY
IMPOSED BY THE GOVERNMENT UPON THE INDUSTRY.
+ IN THE INTERIM, WE HAVE CONTROLS AIMED AT PREVENTING THESE UNPLEASANT NOISES DURING THE PERIOD WHEN MOST PEOPLE ARE SLEEPING OR RESTING FROM THEIR WORK.
+THERE IS A BAN ON PILING WORK DURING THE WHOLE DAY ON SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS. A BILL TO EXTEND THIS BAN, TO COVER THE PERIOD FROM 7 IN THE EVENING UNTIL 7 IN THE MORNING, AND TO COVER NOT JUST PILING BUT ALL NOISY CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT HAS BEEN INTRODUCED INTO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
MR. BENNETT SAID THAT A FIRM OF CONSULTANTS HAD RECOMMENDED THAT EXISTING LEGISLATION ON NOISE SHOULD BE GATHERED TOGETHER IN A SINGLE NOISE ABATEMENT ORDINANCE WHICH WOULD CONTAIN ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS GIVING MORE COMPREHENSIVE CONTROL OVER A WIDER RANGE OF NOISE SOURCES.
HE SAID: THE ORDINANCE PROPOSED WOULD INTRODUCE, IN APPROPRIATE CASES, THE DEFENCE UPON THE PART OF THE PARTY CAUSING THE NOISE THAT HE HAD ADOPTED THE BEST POSSIBLE MEANS OF REDUCING OR MUFFLING THE NOISE.+
THE CONSULTANTS HAD ALSO RECOMMENDED THAT AREAS SHOULD BE DESIGNATED AS THOSE OF HIGH NOISE INCIDENCE AND THOSE OF LOW NOISE INCIDENCE SO THAT NOISE SENSITIVE DEVELOPMENTS SUCH AS HOSPITALS MIGHT BE EXCLUDED FROM THE FORMER, AND POTENTIALLY NOISY DEVELOPMENTS MIGHT BE EXCLUDED FROM THE LATTER.
MR. BENNETT SAID THAT MEASURES SHOULD NOT BE SO DRASTIC AS TO HAVE A HARMFUL EFFECT UPON OUR ECONOMY, PARTICULARLY IN THE INDUSTRIAL SECTOR, OR TO UNDULY LIMIT PEOPLE'S EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES.
J
+BUT, ON THE OTHER HAND, THESE MEASURES MUST BE EFFECTIVE - FOR THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF NOISE ARE NOW BECOMING MORE AND MORE MANIFEST, AS IS REFLECTED BY THE INCREASING NUMBER OF PUBLIC COMPLAINTS ON THIS SUBJECT. THIS WILL NOT BE EASY. BUT IT HAS TO BE TACKLED, AND THIS HAS TO BE DONE WITHOUT DELAY,+ MR. BENETT SAID.
16