USE OF OUTPUT LIMITERS AT PUBLIC EVENTS

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USE OF OUTPUT LIMITERS AT PUBLIC EVENTS: 14.

Dr Warren Lee asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources if he will consider mandating the use of output limiters on public address or other sound amplification systems for use at public events, in view of recent reports suggesting that noise -induced deafness is on the rise and persistent complaints of

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excessive noise caused by various religious festivals and celebrations.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (Assoc. Prof. Koo Tsai Kee) (for the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources): Mr Speaker, Sir, the National Environment Agency works with various agencies to minimise noise nuisance from public events. Output limiters for sound amplification systems had been used previously to control the noise levels for public events. However, Sir, it was found to be more practical to control the use of loudspeakersat public events and to limit the permissible time for such events. These measures are stipulated as conditions under the Public Entertainments and Meetings (Exemptions) Order. Public events listed in the Public Entertainments and Meetings (Exemptions) Order that comply with the prescribed conditions therein do not require a licence from the Singapore Police Force.

Sir, we recognise that noise from public events may occasionally pose a nuisance to nearby residents. But there has been no evidence to suggest that such noisecauses noise-induced deafness. Nevertheless, NEA and the relevant agencies will continue to review regularly the conditions for issuing permits for public events, taking into consideration feedback from the public.

Dr Warren Lee (Sembawang): Sir, while some of these events may not need to be licensed, nevertheless, there are many community events where the loudspeakers are actually quite loud and the people who actually run these PA systems may not be very experienced and may not knowwhat the permissible sound levels would be. Surely, it might be possible for some sort of noise limiters to be made easily available to themso that even if it is not under legislation, people can engage contractors who have these

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noise limiters, if the Government pushes for it.

Assoc. Prof. Koo Tsai Kee: Mr Speaker, Sir,I think the Member is referring mainly to religious festivals.Before any religious festival is organised,there are usually several procedures. The organisers would need to approach, for example, the Adviser himself. The Adviser would be in the best position to advise the organisers what to do and what not to do.Then it goes to the Town Council or the relevant Government authority which owns the land.

On the event day itself, if the noise level is still too loud, the Police is usuallynotified and the Police will comeup and advise the organisers to tone it down. There is a time requirement. They cannot start blasting the noise through the loudspeaker before 11.00 am and they cannot go beyond 10.30 pm. So, these are some of the constraints that organisers already face. We think, with these constraints, the organisers should not be compelled further. Sometimes, there are good reasons why the organisers need to have slightly louder loudspeakers because the event is a mass event in a very open space, and they need to reach certain audience who may be very far from the stage. But, having said that, the key to controlling the noise level is actually the location of the site. If the site is very close to HDB flats, then, obviously, the Adviser in the area should advise the organisers to limit the number of loudspeakers in the first instance.