Compliance

In Western Australia environmental noise is governed by the Environmental Protection (Noise) Regulations 1997. Noise received at one premises from another, needs to comply with the Regulations. Hence, just about every project, from small commercial enterprises (such as service station, child care centre, bar or tavern to name a few), to large industrial premises and mining projects requires an acoustic assessment to ensure compliance with the Regulatory Requirements.

Compliance relates not only to new or proposed developments, by also existing development or operations. Thus, the range of projects the Herring Storer Acoustics provides consulting services is surprisingly large and diverse.

For proposed developments, noise modelling is utilised to determine compliance with the Regulatory criteria. Herring Storer Acoustics over the years has developed a large database of noise associated with all sorts of plant and equipment. Thus, using this data, we can model noise emissions from vast array of proposed developments to provide the Noise Impact Assessments required by councils and government apartments. 

For existing premises or operations, an impact assessment is usually undertaken after a complaint has been received and a determination of compliance with the Regulations is required. This would normally involve undertaking measurements of equipment on site and the monitoring of noise emissions. Depending on the location of the neighbours, direct comparison with the Regulatory criteria is undertaken based on the acoustic data recorded, or if direct comparison is not possible, noise modelling is utilized to determine the noise that would be received at a premise and hence determination of compliance with the Regulations.

Herring Storer Acoustics has a vast array of noise meters and monitoring equipment that can be employed to assess noise emissions from a premise and the experience and expertise to determine the noise that would be received at other premises to determine whether compliance is being achieved. 

For prescribed premises, approvals can contain conditions that require ongoing measurements and / or monitoring at certain intervals (normally annually, but in some cases quarterly testing has been conditioned) be undertaken to ensure compliance is maintained. Herring Storer Acoustics has the expertise to undertake compliance testing and has been doing so for a number over clients of many years.  

When exceedances are either predicted as part of an acoustic assessment or compliance testing, Herring Storer Acoustics has the expertise and experience to undertake the required analysis to provide appropriate noise mitigation.