Legislative Council, Wednesday 22 March, 2023

Ms FORREST question to LEADER of the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Mrs HISCUTT

Thank you, Mr President. My question is to the Leader. With regard to noise monitoring in and around the Burnie Port:

(1) is noise monitoring currently occurring in the vicinity of the Burnie Port? If not, when was the most recent monitoring undertaken;

(2) where are noise monitoring stations located;

(3) how often is noise monitoring conducted;

(4) what measurements are collected by the noise monitoring:

(a) is noise frequency or hertz levels monitored;

(b) what frequencies have been recorded during the night when large vessels are docked; and

(c) if not, will frequencies be monitored?

ANSWER

Mrs HISCUTT -
I thank the member for her question.

(1) Noise monitoring is at times undertaken by TasPorts at the Port of Burnie. The most recent whole-of-port monitoring TasPorts undertook was in March 2021.

(2) The March 2021 monitoring was a whole-of-port assessment and included monitoring of individual port noise sources and three community monitoring locations at North Terrace, Marine Terrace, and Strahan Street. Prior assessments have been undertaken at noise complaint locations.

(3) TasPorts undertakes a full port noise baseline assessment every five years. TasPorts also undertakes noise assessments prior to any significant changes or new developments at the port. Monitoring commitments are detailed in TasPorts Environmental Standards Noise, which is available on TasPorts website.

(4) TasPorts noise monitoring collects continuous noise pressure levels in decibel units, and the frequency of sound pressure levels, which is analysed and presented as LAeq10min, which equals a weighted equivalent sound pressure level over a 10min average. I should imagine that is supposed to be a 10-minute average. And an LA90 10 min, equals the level exceeded for 90 percent of a 10-minute period, which is referred to as a background noise level, and an LA10, 10 minutes, which equals the level exceeded for 10 percent of the 10-minute period, which is indicative of transient noise levels such as traffic noise. And two, sound power levels (SWL) of noise sources in decibel/DB units and the frequency of the noise source across everything.

(4) (a) Yes, noise frequencies are monitored.

(4) (b) The frequencies will very much differ depending on the size and type of vessel in port, typical engine noise frequencies have been recorded between 65-125hz 1/3rd octave bands.

(4) (c) TasPorts will continue to include frequency monitoring in all noise impact assessments and baseline assessments.