Importance of keeping a diary
Before Council can take further action in relation to a nuisance complaint, we need to understand your complaint and how it is impacting on you.
To understand the impact the alleged nuisance is having on you, you will be asked to complete an Environmental Nuisance Diary (PDF 377.3KB) over a period of time (atleast 14 days). The information provided forms part of the assessment conducted by an Environmental Health Officer to determine if Council can action the complaint further under the Environmental Protection Act 1994.
The diary must be returned to Council within a reasonable timeframe after reporting the nuisance to Council (i.e. within 20 working days) if the nuisance complaint is not resolved.
Where a diary is not received by Council or has not been completed in full, no further action can be taken.
Download and complete an Environmental Nuisance Diary here (PDF 377.3KB)
Supporting Information
Where possible and safe to do so, use of technology to record the nuisance being reported is encouraged. Photos and videos submitted with your diary can assist in substantiating a complaint and be good supporting evidence. For example, you could provide a video of the person creating the alleged nuisance or an audio recording accompanied by a picture of the activity creating the alleged nuisance.
When you submit a recording, a video or a picture to Council, include:
- When you take the recording, video or picture, identify:
- the date
- start time
- your name
- your location
- the location of the nuisance you recorded
- location of where you took the recording at your residence
- when you finish recording, the ending time.
- If recording, let the recorder run uninterrupted for the entire time
- Provide a short written declaration that the information you provided is true and correct to the best of your knowledge.
If you are unable to provide the above information to support your electronic evidence, it may lessen the value of the evidence.