EPA Victoria has fined a pub over $9k after management failed to comply with directives, following months of complaints.
Having received public complaints regarding noise levels at Hotel Traralgon, also known as Ryan’s Hotel, in December 2021 the EPA issued it advice on how to comply, and conducted repeated inspections.
When the complaints continued, the pub was issued with an official Improvement Notice in February, and EPA officers resorted to using electronic surveillance.
The Improvement Notice instructed the pub to immediately reduce the volume of noise emanating from the premises, and to engage an expert consultant to investigate the situation and provide a report on proposed methods to improve noise mitigation.
The EPA says management had plenty of opportunity to avoid the fine, of $9,087.
“In May, loud music from the pub was still affecting members of the public outside the premises, and EPA officers stationed monitoring equipment nearby that logged the excessive levels of noise,” says EPA Victoria Gippsland Regional Manager Jessica Bandiera.
“Inspections after midnight on two Saturday nights confirmed the excessive noise being logged was coming from Ryan’s Hotel.”
The fine is officially for failing to comply with an official notice, and under the Environment Protection Act 2017 and the Infringements Act 2006 the operator has the right to challenge the infringement, but the Agency says it comes back to excessive noise affecting the community.
“The hotel failed to heed complaints from the public, failed to follow EPA’s advice on how to comply, failed to comply with an official notice, and failed to reduce the level of noise leaving the premises,” said Bandiera.
