Why take action
24 hour heavy transport is operating in our neighbourhood
What is the issue?
Increasing noise 24/7 coming from Dionysius Transport Services (DTS), which are located at 246 Lytton Road, Morningside (opp fish markets). They receive and dispatch thousands of shipping containers each week onto trucks day and night.
They also have a large open ‘warehouse’ where they are continuously lifting, stacking, and moving containers using enormous 70-tonne ‘forklifts’ or reach stackers. These reach stackers emit powerful low-frequency, high amplitude sound waves which can travel for kilometres.
How it impacts the peace and tranquility of our neighbourhood:
Ever notice periodic loud bangs in the distance? How about the constant low-frequency sound being emitted in short few second bursts, going for hours?
This is most noticeable from around midday to 10pm at night.
DTS typically closes Saturday around midday & re-opens Monday morning, however there are instances where they have operated over the weekend.
Trucking noise:
Notice the sound of trucks at night as they brake coming down Lytton Road, and again as they head back up the hill?
DTS has a permit to operate throughout the night and is one of the businesses closest to a residential area.
DTS is in a state of expansion, increasing the volume of container movements per day. If they win their case against Council, then the noise levels are likely to increase in duration and intensity as the business expands. Furthermore, this case could open a precedence for similar businesses to move into the area, i.e. more trucks at night & increased background noise.
How did the Brisbane City Council allow this to happen?
The 2016 planning application (A004349151) for an extension to the area used for storage by DTS stated the following:
"The proposed development is located approximately 290 metres from the nearest residential zone to the west, approximately 400 metres from the nearest residential zone to the south and approximately 800 metres from the nearest residential zone to the east of the subject site. The proposed development is not considered an intensive use that would be obtrusive and generate noise emissions clearly audible from a residential zone. " As residents we know that this is a FALSE assertion.
You can read the entire application through visiting this link:
https://developmenti.brisbane.qld.gov.au/DocumentSearch/GetAllDocument?applicationId=A004349151
What outcomes are we seeking?
Since the EPA notice was served in June 2022, the process to address the issue has been drawn out and the guidelines for being noise 'compliant' are stacked in favour of the business operator as high as the containers on their site!
Based on our review of the planning approvals, we believe that there has been a failure of process within the Brisbane City Council to accurately assess the noise impact of the Planning Applications that were approved.
We are therefore ultimately seeking that there should not be a heavy transport business operating with a 24/7 license so close to a residential area and that this license be modified to an acceptable standard (i.e. hours of operation 8 AM to 5 PM).
As an immediate next step we believe that a consistent 24 hour noise monitoring mechanism needs to be installed as the onus is currently on the residents to engage testing at the exact time of day that it is occurring within the bounds of the testing criteria.
Take Action
Apart from joining our mailing list to learn more, you can also contact the Brisbane City Council to register your complaint.
The link below takes you to their contact form - select 'General Enquiries' or you can call them directly on (07) 3403 8888.