Pollution

1. Air Pollution

Bushfire Smoke Health Information

The NSW Department of Health has information and factsheets on protecting yourself from bushfire smoke - https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/air/Pages/bushfire-smoke.aspx. 

Wood heaters

Smoke from wood heaters is a major cause of air pollution. During winter, wood heaters can produce up to seven times as much particle pollution as cars. Not only is a smoking fire wasting your money, but the air pollution it causes can also affect our health.

When used correctly, modern low emission wood heaters fuelled by sustainably managed fuel sources are very low emitters of particulates and other substances. It is in the interest of the community to help reduce the amount of emissions from wood heaters.

More information about reducing your emissions from wood smoke is available from the EPA website.

2. Graffiti

Graffiti is a scourge which costs communities across Australia millions of dollars to remove every year. Like all communities we have to deal with our fair share of this problem and Council has in place a team which removes graffiti from public buildings such as amenities blocks in parks etc.

Council has a program to remove graffiti from public property within 24 hours of being notified. The quick removal of these tags ensures that the perpetrator’s message is not given an opportunity to be promoted and also that the area does not act like a billboard to attract other taggers.

Council advises people who see graffiti applied to public property such as amenity blocks in parks etc, to contact Council immediately so that it can arrange for its Graffiti Removal Team to remove it. This can be done by phoning Council.

In respect of graffiti on private property the Council advises property owners to remove the offending tags within 24 hours.

If your property is affected please contact the Police Assistance Line (PAL) on 131 444. The Police will complete a Malicious Damage Report which will assist in tracking the offender down.

3. Noise

It is a fact of life that we all make noise - talking to others, playing music, entertaining, working around the house. What is enjoyable to one person may be noise to another, too much noise can reduce peoples quality of life.

The best approach for dealing with noisy neighbours is to talk to them and work together on a solution to settle the problem. You may feel anxious about approaching your neighbour, but remember they are sometimes not aware they are disturbing you. Talking about noise early on can help make neighbours aware of the problem and be more considerate in the future.

There are rules (time limits) about when we can operate certain equipment.

Time limits exist in an effort to prevent the annoyance that noise from certain activities may cause our neighbour. The limits are based on what would be considered unreasonable.

Whatever the time of day consideration of your neighbour can help prevent many noise problems and lead to better neighbour relations.

If speaking to your neighbour is not successful and where noise is a recurrent problem, you could consider contacting a Community Justice Centre (CJC). These are government-funded but independent centres that specialise in settling differences between neighbours without getting into complicated legal processes.

Council's Environmental Health Officers are always willing to provide advice in regards to enquiries you may have regarding neighbourhood noise or if you are unable to resolve the matter by talking with your neighbour, a complaint can be made to Council. It is important to relay all details of your complaint, including action already taken and the offending property address.

Please call Council during business hours. Alternatively you may contact Council by email to council@qprc.nsw.gov.au or by mail at PO Box 90, Queanbeyan NSW 2620.

Development Consent conditions generally restrict the operating noise level of equipment and plant on industrial and commercial premises.

4. Noise from Licensed Premises

Music and crowd noise from restaurants, hotels and clubs can sometimes reach levels that are considered offensive or a nuisance and affect the lifestyle of neighbours and residents.

The Police or the NSW Department of Industry Liquor and Gaming deal with 'noisy patrons' leaving licensed premises.

Council enforces regulations to protect the amenity of the community.

All Liquor Licensed premises are obliged to respond quickly and positively to resolve complaints received from neighbouring premises.

You can lodge a 'Disturbance Complaint' when licensed premises or the behaviour of patrons leaving the premises causes problems. NSW Liquor and Gaming can also deal with any music or patron noise complaints about licensed premises through a disturbance complaint. You can complete a 'Disturbance Complaint' online from their web site which also contains information on how to lodge a complaint.

Check the table below to see who to contact regarding noise in various sectors.

You can speak to an Environmental Health Officer at council if you have enquiries or complaints about commercial or industrial noise nuisances on 02 6285 6268 or alternatively you may contact Council by an online request.

5. How long do items take to break down in the environment

Watch the Litterbug and Mulunggang sort through rubbish and find out how long items take to break down.