The NSW Chief Health Officer says anyone standing on the balcony of a Newcastle East apartment building during the Supercars event could suffer hearing loss.
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Dr Kerry Chant wrote to John Davies, who lives in the Carlton building on the corner of Scott and Zaara streets, after Mr Davies sent her the results of sound monitoring he commissioned at his apartment in 2017 and 2018.
The monitoring by RCA Acoustics showed the noise peaked at 132, 136 and 138 decibels on his second-storey balcony on the three days of last year's race weekend.
"The noise assessment that Robert Carr and Associates has conducted suggests that during the event noise on a balcony of the Carlton Building was at levels that could cause hearing loss," Dr Chant said in a reply to Mr Davies in May.
"If someone were on the balcony of the Carlton Building during the event, without appropriate hearing protection such as earplugs, the noise exposure could lead to hearing loss."
Dr Chant told Mr Davies that Destination NSW bore the regulatory responsibility for managing noise levels at the race and she had forwarded his letter and the noise monitoring results to DNSW chief executive officer Sandra Chipchase.
Mr Davies did not receive a response from Ms Chipchase until Tuesday morning, 90 minutes after the Newcastle Herald approached the agency for comment.
Dr Chant declined to be interviewed about Supercars noise levels and referred the Newcastle Herald to DNSW.
In a response to questions, A DNSW spokesperson reiterated the agency's advice that "motor races are noisy events by nature and the Coates Hire Newcastle 500 is no exception".
"The NSW Government is committed to working with residents to ensure concerns around the staging of this event are managed where possible," it said.
"The Noise Management Fact Sheet prepared by Supercars Australia outlines the findings of the noise assessment as well as mitigation strategies which allow the community and residents close to the track to make informed decisions about their own wellbeing.
"Supercars Australia has advised they will continue to publish clear advice on mitigation measures and provides all residents and businesses the ability to contact them directly."
Mr Davies said the DNSW response to noise concerns was inadequate and the public should be better informed about the potential risks of attending the event without ear protection.
The advice needs to be updated based on actual data from the race.
- Resident John Davies
He pointed out that many school children, almost all of whom did not wear hearing protection, attended the event. He estimated that about 90 per cent of spectators at the race did not wear ear plugs or muffs.
"The advice needs to be updated based on actual data from the race," Mr Davies said. "My point remains that DNSW should be actively advising the public, by way of advertising, of the risks associated with attending this event.
"My unit in on the corner of Scott and Zaara Streets and is far from the noisiest part of the track.
"Supercars' advice that motor sports are noisy is hardly sufficient given the health risks are real and acknowledged by the Department of Health's Chief Health Officer."
The Supercars noise fact sheet was prepared before the first Newcastle race in 2017. Neither the race organisers nor DNSW have released the results of sound monitoring in Newcastle.
The fact sheet, which was aimed primarily at residents and businesses, predicted noise levels up to 140dB in some parts of the track and warned that "permanent hearing damage" could occur above 120dB.
The Newcastle Herald reported during the 2017 race weekend that an independent acoustic engineer, Julian Ellis, recorded a peak noise level of 150dB in Parnell Place. Monitoring at other parts of the track showed lower levels, peaking at 112dB in Watt Street and 114dB on a balcony in Scott Street.
Peak decibel levels inside houses next to the track were in the 80s.
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