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Noise restrictions for licensed venues
Find out how to make a complaint to the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR) if you’ve been disturbed by excessive noise from a nearby pub, club or other licensed venue.
The Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR) regulates noise coming from most venues licensed under the Liquor Act 1992. Around one-third of complaints we receive relate to problem noise.
Licensees must ensure they comply with all noise conditions on their liquor licence. They must also ensure noise coming from their premises is not unreasonable and does not negatively impact on local residents and businesses. This includes limiting noise from:
- entertainment
- patrons at, entering, or leaving the premises
- mechanical noise related to the operation of the premises (e.g. generators, air conditioners, fridges, etc).
This guide will help you understand the noise restrictions related to your premises, provide tips for reducing noise, and connect you to sound engineers and acoustic consultants in Queensland who are familiar with liquor licensing noise requirements.
Noise limits in licensed venues
Licensed venues without entertainment are (in most cases) allowed a maximum noise limit of 75 decibels as measured approximately 3 metres from the source.
Some types of liquor licences may allow you to provide entertainment if you meet certain requirements, for example, ensuring the premises is sufficiently soundproofed to prevent unreasonable noise affecting nearby residents and businesses. Some venues, like nightclubs, are specifically licensed to provide entertainment.
Typical music volumes associated with common forms of entertainment are listed in the following table.
Source | Volume (decibels relative to the carrier) |
---|---|
Person talking normally at 1m | 60-65 dB(C) |
Piped restaurant music | 65-75 dB(C) |
Video disk background music | 80-95 dB(C) |
Soloists/duos | 85-105 dB(C) |
Other small bands | 95-110 dB(C) |
Small rock band | 105-120 dB(C) |
Increasing the noise levels allowed in your venue
Conditions that set the volume of entertainment or patron noise may be imposed when your licence is granted or varied, or because of substantiated noise complaints.
You must submit an acoustic report with your licence application if you want to:
- conduct amplified entertainment above 75 decibels at a new premises
- or
- remove or vary a current condition that prohibits or limits amplified entertainment.
You must engage a qualified sound engineer or acoustic consultant to prepare the acoustic report. The report must comply with Guideline 51: Preparing an acoustic report.
Your licence condition will limit noise to the appropriate level that is indicated in the acoustic report.
The type of entertainment being provided is not a factor in deciding whether to impose a noise-related licence condition.
Also consider...
- Read Guideline 16: Control of entertainment noise.
- Read tips for controlling noise in licensed venues.
- Access printable compliance signage for licensed venues.
- Read about patron and staff safety on licensed premises.
- Take our complying with noise requirements for licensed venues refresher and test your knowledge with the quiz.
Tips for controlling noise in licensed venues
Consider these tips to help ensure your venue doesn't produce excessive noise.
Controlling venue noise
- Close the doors and windows during entertainment.
- Face speakers away from your neighbours.
- Use an area of your premises away from your neighbours.
- Use a sound lock at the entrance to the entertainment area.
- Only provide entertainment suitable to the structure of your premises.
- Go outside and listen for noise—if you can make out the actual words to a song, the music is too loud.
- Check whether you can hear the bass clearly outside your venue and adjust the levels—bass will heavily impact on your neighbours.
- Install a sound limiting device.
- Investigate whether double glazing might help with noise control.
- Maintain all motorised equipment in good working order.
- Turn off motors at night.
- Reposition motors away from neighbours.
Controlling patron noise
- Display signs asking patrons to be considerate of neighbours.
- Ensure adequate security and lighting in external areas (e.g. car parks) to manage patrons as they leave and discourage loitering.
- Reposition taxi ranks away from your neighbours.
Also consider...
- Read Guideline 16: Control of entertainment noise.
- Read more about noise limits in licensed venues.
- Access printable noise signage for licensed venues.
- Read about patron and staff safety in licensed premises.
- Take our complying with noise requirements for licensed venues refresher and test your knowledge with the quiz.
Complying with acceptable noise levels
Noise that negatively impacts local residents and businesses may be considered unreasonable if it exceeds the noise limit prescribed by regulation or contravenes a compliance order or condition of your liquor licence.
If an Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR) investigation finds noise from your licensed premises is unreasonable, action may be taken to make you reduce it to a reasonable level or stop the noise.
How we assess noise complaints
OLGR makes every effort to work with you and complainants to resolve noise complaints, but it's important you do everything you can to prevent your venue from becoming a potential problem for your neighbours.
When assessing noise complaints, we may consider:
- the number of complaints we receive about the same issue
- the frequency of problem noise
- whether you're meeting your liquor licence conditions
- whether ambient background noise meets the levels allowed under section 40 of the Liquor Regulation 2002
- any reasonable steps you're taking to ensure the use of your venue doesn't adversely affect the local area
- whether any changes have been made to your premises or a nearby residence or business which contribute to the problem noise. This is called the 'order of occupancy'.
Assessing order of occupancy
Prior occupancy may prevent us taking further action.
Consider, for example, a new apartment block is built next door to an established venue. A new tenant complains about the volume of amplified noise coming from the venue. We would investigate the complaint and work with the licensee to resolve the tenant's concerns, taking into account:
- who was there first
- whether any structural changes were recently made to the venue or the complainant's residence
- whether the venue had introduced a new activity (e.g. live entertainment) that was causing the noise.
How we resolve issues with unreasonable noise
When investigating complaints about noise, OLGR will apply its noise enforcement policy. We will commonly follow this process:
- We will contact you to give you an opportunity to address the complaint.
- Compliance officers may attend the premises to discuss strategies to address the concerns of affected residents. We may also inspect the premises to assess your compliance with the Liquor Act 1992 and noise conditions (if applicable).
- We may place noise logging equipment inside a complainant's residence to determine whether any noise is unreasonable under the Liquor Regulation.
- If indicative noise testing indicates the noise may be unreasonable, then we will arrange more formal noise testing from a complainant's residence in consultation with the complainant.
- If formal noise testing establishes noise to be unreasonable, we may issue a noise abatement notice instructing you to take certain action to prevent further unreasonable noise. Noise abatement notices may remain in effect for up to 3 months (unless extended in writing).
- If you fail to comply with the abatement notice and unreasonable noise is further established, we may issue a compliance order requiring all noise from the premises to cease until you have taken appropriate action. We can also issue an on-the-spot fine of up to $3,096.
- If we detect any further instances of non-compliance, the Commissioner of Liquor and Gaming may impose a variation to the noise conditions on your liquor licence. We may also start prosecution proceedings in the Queensland courts or take other disciplinary action (e.g. cancel your licence or permit).
Compliance orders for unreasonable noise
If unreasonable noise from your premises continues to be a problem anytime in the 12 months after we issued an abatement notice, we can issue a compliance order requiring you to stop the unreasonable noise.
Your premises includes any area containing plant and equipment that is used for the benefit of your premises, even if it isn't physically located at the premises.
A compliance order can remain in effect until you demonstrate you have permanently limited unreasonable noise or for up to 6 months (unless extended in writing).
We can also take other action under the Liquor Act, in conjunction with a compliance order, for example, issue a further abatement notice, vary a licence or permit, take disciplinary action or start court proceedings.
It is an offence not to comply with a compliance order. The maximum penalty is $15,480 (100 penalty units).
Prosecution for unreasonable noise
If you fail to comply with a compliance order, we can start proceedings in a Magistrates Court without further notice to you. If found guilty, the maximum fine is $15,480.
Contact us
Contact OLGR for information about minimising noise in your licensed premises.
Also consider...
- Read more about noise limits in licensed venues.
- Access printable noise signage for licensed venues.
- Read about patron and staff safety on licensed premises.
- Take our complying with noise requirements for licensed venues refresher and test your knowledge with the quiz.
Acoustic consultants
These tables list sound engineers and acoustic consultants in Queensland who are familiar with liquor licensing noise requirements.
Sound engineers and acoustic consultants should familiarise themselves with Guideline 51: Preparing an acoustic report.
You should make your own assessment of acoustic consultants, even if they are listed on this website.
Name | Contact details |
---|---|
Acoustic Logic Consultancy Pty Ltd Tarmo Saar |
FORTITUDE VALLEY Phone: (07) 3211 5591 or 0447 627 656 Email: tsaar@acousticlogic.com.au |
AECOM Australia Pty Ltd | Phone: (07) 3553 2050 Email: Aloysius.Chang@aecom.com |
Decibell Consulting John Cristaudo |
WOOLLOONGABBA Phone: (07) 3391 5096 or 0415 581 632 Email: decibellconsulting@gmail.com |
Dedicated Acoustics Craig O'Sullivan |
WOOLLOONGABBA Phone: (07) 3036 2317 or 0434 289 997 Email: info@dedicatedacoustics.com.au |
Doug Phillips |
AUCHENFLOWER Phone: (07) 3371 1657 or 0415 670 273 |
JTA Health Safety Noise David Jowett | Phone: 1300 771 898 Email: info@jtahealthsafetynoise.com.au |
Lambert & Rehbein |
FORTITUDE VALLEY Phone: (07) 3250 9000 |
MWA Environmental Paul King | Phone: (07) 3002 5500 Email: paulk@mwaenviro.com.au |
Renzo Tonin Associates Pty Ltd Paul Johnson Dwishen Ramanah |
WEST END Phone: (07) 3367 3131 Email: brisbane@renzotonin.com.au |
SLR Consulting Australia Pty Ltd |
SPRING HILL Phone: (07) 3858 4800 Email: brisbane@slrconsulting.com |
Stantec Australia Pty Ltd |
FORTITUDE VALLEY Phone: (07) 3369 9822 Email: warren.steiner@stantec.com SOUTH BRISBANE Phone: (07) 3029 5000 Email: michael.lanchester@stantec.com |
Vipac Engineers & Scientists Ltd |
SPRING HILL Phone: (07) 3377 0400 or 1300 847 222 Email: enquiries-Acousticsconsulting@vipac.com.au |
VMS AUSTRALIA | Phone: 1800 867 000 Email: info@vms.com.au |
WBM Pty Ltd |
SPRING HILL Phone: (07) 3831 6744 |
Name | Contact details |
---|---|
Alpha Acoustics Pty Ltd Matt Fishburn |
MARGATE BEACH Phone: (07) 3885 2380 or 0420 935 874 Email: info@alphaacoustics.com.au |
ATP Consulting Engineers Sasho Temelkoski |
ALBION Phone: (07) 3256 1747 Email: sasho@atpconsulting.com.au |
RSA Liquor Professionals Russell Steele |
CHERMSIDE WEST Phone: 0422 595 060 Email: russell@rsapro.com.au |
Name | Contact details |
---|---|
Acousticworks Pty Ltd Greg Pearce |
COORPAROO Phone: (07) 3393 2222 Email: gpearce@acousticworks.com.au |
Air Noise Environment Beau Weyers |
CAPALABA Phone: (07) 3245 7808 or 0413 530 524 Email: beau.weyers@ane.com.au |
NV Engineers Glen Copelin |
CAMP HILL Phone: 0408 640 908 Email: gcopelin@nvengineers.com.au |
Trinity Consultants Australia Gillian Adams |
WAKERLEY Phone: (07) 3255 3355 Email: brisbane@trinityconsultants.com |
Warren Middleton |
TARRAGINDI Phone: (07) 3848 8507 or 0419 732 275 |
Name | Contact details |
---|---|
A/B Acoustics Malte Buchberger |
KENMORE Phone: 0458 666 124 Email: contact@abacoustics.com.au |
Assured Environmental Pty Ltd Craig Beyers |
TENNYSON Phone: (07) 3333 1960 or 1300 662 495 Email: craig@assuredmonitoring.com.au |
D4 Acoustics Matthew Dever |
BEAUDESERT Phone: 0438 136 804 Email: info@d4acoustics.com.au |
L Huson & Associates |
WOODRIDGE Phone: (07) 3808 3134 or 0416 143 716 |
MRG Environmental Matthew Goodfellow |
EIGHT MILE PLAINS Phone: (07) 3841 0815 Email: matthew@mrgenvironmental.com |
Noise Measurement Services Pty Ltd Max Thorne |
GAYTHORNE Phone: (07) 3355 9707 BROOKSIDE Phone: (07) 3355 9707 Fax: (07) 3355 7210 Email: info@noisemeasurement.com.au |
Palmer Acoustics Australia Pty Ltd Ross Palmer |
PARK RIDGE Phone: (07) 3802 2155 or 0411 883 113 Email: ross@palmeracoustics.com or enquiry@palmeracoustics.com |
Simpson Engineering Group Pty Ltd Mark Simpson |
FORESTDALE Phone: (07) 3117 2468 or 0414 383 172 |
Sound Control Pty Ltd Bruce Whittle |
RICHLANDS Phone: (07) 3268 4588 Email: sound@soundcontrol.com.au |
SoundBASE Consulting Engineers Michael Hayne |
MT OMMANEY Phone: 0432 442 213 Email: mhayne@soundbase.com.au |
Name | Contact details |
---|---|
Cairns Acoustics Anne Pals Bleeksma |
AEROGLEN Phone: 0422 718 753 Email: consultant@cairnsacoustics.com.au |
Lambert & Rehbein |
EDGE HILL Phone: (07) 4280 8200 |
Name | Contact details |
---|---|
Live It Acoustics Tristan Shalhoub |
MACKAY MOOLOOLABA Phone: 1300 775 800 Email: info@liveitacoustics.com.au |
Shelburg Acoustics Pty Ltd John Upton |
TOOGOOM Phone: 0418 389 269 Email: shelburg@bigpond.net.au |
SLR Consulting Australia Pty Ltd |
MACKAY Phone: (07) 3181 3300 Email: mackay@slrconsulting.com EMERALD Phone: (02) 6287 0800 |
D4 Acoustics Matthew Dever |
Phone: 0438 136 804 Email: info@d4acoustics.com.au |
Name | Contact details |
---|---|
Acousticworks Pty Ltd Greg Pearce |
Phone: (07) 5593 9899 Email: gpearce@acousticworks.com.au |
ATP Consulting Engineers Sasho Temelkoski |
VARSITY LAKES Phone: (07) 5593 0487 Email: sasho@atpconsulting.com.au |
Craig Hill Acoustics Craig Hill |
PALM BEACH Phone: (07) 5576 3883 or 0418 762 968 Email: craig@craighillacoustics.com.au |
George Winters & Associates |
BOND UNIVERSITY Phone: (07) 5595 2228 |
Stantec Australia Pty Ltd |
NERANG Phone: (07) 5503 5400 Email: BusinessServices.QLD@stantec.com |
SLR Consulting Australia Pty Ltd |
VARSITY LAKES Phone: 1300 434 443 |
VMS AUSTRALIA | MAIN BEACH Phone: 1800 867 000 Email: info@vms.com.au |
Name | Contact details |
---|---|
SLR Consulting Australia Pty Ltd |
TOWNSVILLE SOUTH Phone: (07) 4722 6500 Email: townsville@slrconsulting.com |
Name | Contact details |
---|---|
Acousticworks Pty Ltd Greg Pearce |
Phone: (07) 5443 2524 Email: gpearce@acousticworks.com.au |
Duke Environmental Paula Duke |
BUDDINA Phone: (07) 5493 3322 Email: admin@dukenviro.com.au |
Live It Acoustics Tristan Shalhoub |
MOOLOOLABA Phone: 1300 775 800 Email: info@liveitacoustics.com.au |
Name | Contact details |
---|---|
Rodney Stevens Acoustics Marc Guitart |
TOOWOOMBA Phone: (07) 3804 1217 or 0409 301 598 Email: marc@rodneystevensacoustics.com.au |
Name | Contact details |
---|---|
David Moore & Associates |
SILVAN Phone: (07) 3170 3222 or 0417 717 506 Email: david@dmoore.com.au |
Also consider...
- Read tips for controlling noise in licensed venues.
- Read about noise limits in licensed venues.
- Find out about patron and staff safety at licensed premises.
- Take our complying with noise requirements for licensed venues refresher and test your knowledge with the quiz.
© The State of Queensland 1995–2024
- Last reviewed: 08 Sep 2021
- Last updated: 08 Sep 2021