MELTON MP Don Nardella last week welcomed new noise reduction laws to protect residents plagued by excessive household noise.
He said the new laws, which came into effect last week, would serve to reprieve residents from their noisy neighbours and would allow authorities to enforce ‘noise bans’ for up to 72 hours for unreasonably loud, long or untimely noise.
“Strengthening the residential noise abatement directions given by police or councils would help many of the 770,000 Victorians affected by excessive noise each year,” Mr Nardella said.
He said many Melton families would now be protected from excessively loud tools and machinery during unreasonable times.
“Previous directions to reduce noise levels only remained in effect for 12 hours. The change in law will help police and councils enforce noise abatement more effectively and send a stronger signal to offenders that excessive noise is unacceptable.”
Other changes to law which came into effect last week include the doubling of fines for littering with penalties involving litter that is burning when deposited, such as a lit cigarette, rising to $563. The penalty for offences involving an extinguished cigarette butt or other small items such as a wrappers and fruit scraps has increased to $282.
