Dealing with disturbance issues - guide for licensed venues

• Have a dedicated staff member available to talk to residents about their complaints or disturbance concerns
• Respond promptly to any concerns raised by local residents and ensure you communicate any steps or actions taken to address the complaint. It is good practice to keep a register of all noise complaints received
• Set up a direct mobile phone number or email hotline for enquiries and complaints
• Prominently display information about your complaints handling process, including contact details, in your venue or on your website
• Initiate community meetings to discuss any disturbance issues.

• Actively participate in your local liquor accord so you can contribute to broader strategies and practical solutions to address disturbance issues and anti-social behaviour in your local area
• Implement techniques to deal with anti-social behaviour from patrons leaving your venue and ensure patrons don’t loiter in the immediate vicinity after your venue has closed
• Assess your venue’s building design, and identify opportunities for modification that will future-proof against noise complaints from local residents
• Ensure you understand and comply with any noise-related conditions on your liquor licence
• Develop internal procedures, such as a noise management plan, and ensure staff members understand procedures relating to the provision of music at your venue and any noise mitigation controls in place
• If your venue is located within a Special Entertainment Precinct ensure you are familiar with the sound management framework set out in the precinct management plan prepared by your local council.

• Industry peak bodies such as ClubsNSW, AHA (NSW), and Restaurant & Catering NSW can assist licensed venues establish best-practice complaints-handling processes for their business
• You can also refer to the Australian/New Zealand Standard – Guidelines for complaint management in organisations (AS/NZS 10002:2022), which identifies the key features of best-practice complaints handling
• Refer to the Sound Management – Guidance For Venue Operators for information and best practice advice on measures that can be implemented to reduce sound emissions from venues, including sound from amplified music, entertainment and patron noise.

Noise emissions from your venue, including amplified music, how patrons behave in your venue, and how they enter or leave your venue, can have an impact on the neighbourhood and can seriously damage goodwill towards your venue.

Small and practical changes can make big differences and be effective in mitigating noise impacts on the local community.

• Self-assess – monitor noise levels at your venue, both inside and outside, and conduct regular perimeter checks at the boundary of neighbouring residences to understand what your neighbours are hearing
• Turn down the volume of amplified speakers or PA system in use
• Close the doors or windows facing residential areas
• Consider the placement of amplifiers, speakers, band instruments and stage set up within your venue. Avoid placing equipment near structurally weak areas of your venue, such as windows and doors, to limit the break-out or leakage of sound emissions from your venue
• Consider engaging an accredited acoustic engineer to undertake acoustic testing at your venue.

It’s important that residents and businesses are aware of different ways they can address disturbance issues.

Information is available to let the community know how to deal with disturbance concerns, including letting them know that the simplest and most straightforward way to deal with a concern is to contact the venue directly. It is important that you engage with residents and businesses to resolve any disturbance issues locally and work together on a solution. Having open and clear communication can assist in the quick and informal resolution of matters and can promote positive relationships with the local community.