Tasmanian State Roads Traffic Noise Management Guidelines

The Tasmanian State Roads Traffic Noise Management Guidelines were developed to provide a fair and consistent approach to traffic noise management on State roads.

Under the Guidelines, we only consider noise reduction works when a new or upgraded road project is being developed and is assessed as eligible for mitigation.

The guidelines reflect the overarching principles and strategies of the State Road Noise Strategy 2011.

Download the Tasmanian State Road Traffic Noise Management Guidelines (2015) as a PDF file.

Guidelines review

We regularly review the Tasmanian State Roads Traffic Noise Management Guidelines to make sure they are in line with the guidance provided by other jurisdictions and to provide a fair and consistent approach to traffic noise management on State roads.

We are currently reviewing the guidelines and will provide updates throughout this process.

What is traffic noise?

Traffic noise is generated by vehicles as they travel on roads. Every moving vehicle generates noise, mainly from their tyres and engine.

The level of traffic noise at any given time depends on the number of vehicles passing (more vehicles means more noise), the mix of vehicle types (trucks make more noise than passenger vehicles), their speed (faster vehicles make more noise), the road surface (usually rougher surfaces cause more tyre noise) and the road gradient (steeper roads mean more engine noise).

The noise from all these factors spreads outwards from the road as the traffic moves along. The noise lessens with distance from the road and can be blocked by environmental features or structures.

How might traffic noise affect me?

As with many other types of noise, traffic noise can be annoying if it is too loud. People have differing sensitivities to noise – what may not bother one person may bother another. This means that traffic noise management guidelines can’t always satisfy everyone.

However, many decades of studies and experience have led to the development of guideline noise levels that are well established and widely accepted around the world as providing reasonable and appropriate protection for the general community.

When might these guidelines be relevant to me?

These guidelines only apply to State roads so they are only relevant to houses that lie along these roads.

You can see who owns which road here: Who owns the roads.

Some councils may also choose to use them for their local roads. If you have a question about noise on council roads, it’s best to check with your local council.

Under the Guidelines, we only consider ways to reduce noise when we are upgrading or building a road. When we are doing a project, we look at whether, under these guidelines, any noise reduction works need to be done. More information about this process is below.

While we know that living next to a busy highway can be challenging, we do not undertake noise reduction works for increased traffic noise that is a natural result from increased traffic or population growth.

What happens if there’s a road project near me?

When there is a new or upgrade road project, we will apply these guidelines as part of project planning and design work.

1. The Department will use these guidelines to determine whether the project is eligible for noise reduction measures.

2. If the project is eligible, we will usually measure the existing traffic noise along the project route and use traffic counters to measure how many vehicles are using the road.

3. We use models based on the future design of the road and how many vehicles are expected to use the road in future to predict what the noise level will be like in 10-year’s time at houses along the project route.

4. We will use these guidelines to determine which (if any) houses along the project route are eligible for noise reduction measures.

5. In making these decisions, we will look at whether noise reduction is feasible, reasonable and practical.

6. We will decide what (if any) noise reduction works will be considered for each eligible house. The main options are usually low noise road seals, noise mounds, noise walls and acoustic windows.

7. If the project requires a development application to be submitted to the relevant council, the development application will include a description of how we propose to reduce noise. This will usually be advertised by the council for public comment.

8. If our proposed works directly affect houses or properties, for example, if we are installing noise fences along property boundaries or double glazing houses, we will consult directly with the property owners.

9. If part of a property must be compulsorily acquired for a project, noise impacts on the property will form part of the negotiations.

10. After the project is finished, we might measure the noise again to check that any noise reduction works were effective. There are many different factors that affect noise so we can’t always be certain that we will be successful in reducing noise. This also means we can’t make guarantees about noise levels in advance.