Wodonga Council — Environmental nuisances

Alongside other agencies, Council can play a role in regulating nuisances when activities undertaken by others impact on residents and members of the community.

A nuisance may relate to noise, dust, odours, pollution, light, waste or smoke. To be deemed a nuisance it must meet the requirements of legislation.

Before contacting council, the first step should be to talk with the person causing the nuisance and ask them to stop or alter their activities.

Below highlights some of the more common nuisance complaints and how they are managed:

Noise

The Environment Protection Act 2017 (Vic) and the Environment Protection Regulations 2021 (Vic) outline some laws relating to noise pollution, including how to determine what noise is unreasonable, when and where. Different departments are responsible for dealing with noise complaints, depending on where the noise comes from.

Find out about the different types of noise and how the laws control them from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

If you have tried to resolve an ongoing noise issue on your own but have not succeeded, you can report the noise to council for investigation. Council will ask you to provide information including :
-   Where is the noise coming from?
-   Who or what is making the noise?
-   What is the duration of the noise and how often is the noise made?
-   What does the noise sound like?
-   Where can you hear the noise? and;
-   How is the noise affecting you?

The EPA website has some useful information to help you manage noise.

Odours

Offensive odours are those which are offensive to the senses of human beings and adversely affect local amenity or enjoyment of the environment. Some common sources of odour include:

Compost or greenwaste;
Rubbish;
Landfill gas; and
Anaerobic leachate (water contaminated by waste).

When the odour is coming from an EPA regulated or commercial space, contact EPA for assistance.

Report odour

Pollution

All Victorian’s have a general environmental duty to report pollution incidents. Reporting pollution and waste incidents helps to protect our environment and public health. To report a pollution incident refer to the EPA website: What pollution and waste you can report | epa.vic.gov.au

If the pollution event presents an immediate threat to human health or the environment (for example, toxic fumes, fire or a large chemical spill) call triple zero (000) immediately to report it to emergency services.

Non-urgent pollution that can be reported to council includes:
•   Smoke from residential wood heaters and fireplaces
•   Odour from neighbours and small businesses
•   Noise from residential areas (if during business hours – after hours call the police)
•   Litter – but only if its not from or near a vehicle

Smoke from wood heaters

Wood heaters and open fireplaces make significant contributions to air pollution in Victoria. Smoke can affect some people worse than others, such as:
•   those with heart or lung conditions,
•   asthmatics,
•   pregnant women,
•   young children and those aged 65 and over,
•   people with diabetes; and
•   smokers

If you own a wood heater or fireplace, consider your neighbours’ health when using it for heat in winter and ensure it is cleaned and maintained regularly. Always burn dry, seasoned and untreated hard wood and don’t put rubbish, coal or painted wood into the fire. For more guidance on how to manage wood smoke, refer to the EPA website.