This page relates to earthmoving, land clearing and subdivision works, such as drainage.
For land clearing and preparation, including infrastructure such as roads and sewerage, see EPA’s guidance and legislation for Noise from large residential subdivision or urban development sites (publication 1264).
These guidelines are targeted to land preparation work, not housing or other building construction.
Normal work hours for commercial and industrial land subdivision, and large urban fringe or ‘greenfield’ work are covered under the following publications:
In summary, normal work hours for commercial and industrial land subdivision, and new-subdivision land-preparation work at the urban fringe are:
- 7 am – 6 pm weekdays
- 7 am – 1 pm Saturday
Slightly different work hours apply to residential land preparation on infill developments, small/single-lot subdivisions and general home and apartment construction. Noise from large residential subdivision or urban development sites explains these controls.
In summary, normal work hours for land preparation on infill and smaller residential developments are:
- 7 am – 6 pm weekdays
- 9 am – 1 pm Saturday (noise before 9 am prohibited)
EPA generally discourages work after 1 pm on a Saturday, as many sites may start at 7 am. However, a later finishing time may be acceptable for sites with a later start. The local council can manage decisions on these issues, with EPA advice where required.
The advice in the publication Noise from large residential subdivision or urban development sites can be applied by local councils under approvals, local laws or compliance decisions. It allows for some discretion on work hours depending on the circumstances of the noise, but if councils allow variations they should justify them.