It is an offence under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, to carry out building work without obtaining the appropriate form of approval.

To enquire about unauthorised building works please complete this form.

If your complaint relates to development where a private Principal Certifier has been appointed, please contact the Principal Certifier directly in the first instance. Council do not handle these matters.

To find out more or enquire about a subdivision please complete this form.

It's common for building and construction sites to be noisy. But when noise from these works is excessive or happening out of hours, you can report it as a problem.

Who to talk to:

The first person to talk to about construction noise will usually be the Principal Certifier for the site. The Principal Certifier could be a private person or company (private certifier), or it could be Council.

It's the Principal Certifier's job to:

• Make sure any noise at a construction site is managed in line with the conditions that have been approved for the work
• Investigate any noise complaints and give you feedback.

Usually, a sign may be displayed at the building site with the principal certifier’s name and contact details. This sign could be on fencing or near an entry point to the site. If you can’t locate a sign, Council can provide the principal certifiers details upon request by calling Customer Service on 4221 6111 during office hours. 

Private certifiers operate under laws set by the NSW Government. Where a construction site is managed by a private certifier, you will need to talk to them directly. Council does not directly manage private certifiers. Contact NSW Fair Trading if you're unable to work things out directly with a private certifier.

Council can take action on reports about construction noise when the noise does not meet the conditions that have been approved for the work and when Council is the appointed certifier. These conditions will be explained in the Development Consent for the work site. Generally, if work is being done in line with the conditions of consent, we won't be able to take action. 

To request a copy of a Development Consent, please visit our Application Search page and/or make an informal GIPA request.

What are normal hours for construction noise?

Hours for construction sites

The standard hours that are approved for most building sites where work is done under a Development Application are:

• 7am to 5pm Monday to Saturday
• No work allowed on Sunday or public holidays.

Hours for home renovations

Noise can also come from people using power tools around their home, and other works in residential areas that aren't part of an approved Development Application.
In these cases, noise is only allowed within the following hours:

• 7am to 8pm Monday to Friday
• 8am to 8pm Saturday, Sunday and public holidays

For more information about construction noise please refer to EPA website.

1. Shellharbour City Council - Exhibition Enquiry
2. form-informalapplicationrequestforinformation0_0.pdf
3. Dealing with neighbourhood noise
 

Make a general flood enquiry or request further advice regarding Council’s Floodplain Risk Management here.