London Circuit City West has been closed off as light rail works continue. Photo: Ian Bushnell.
On at least four occasions this month, Xavier has been unable to sleep soundly.
The ANU international student said it’s due to the London Circuit City West construction outside his Capitol Apartment home.
“For several nights now, I’ve been disturbed by extremely loud drilling noises and the engine sound from the truck from what appears to be a light rail construction site operating around 11 pm, even at midnight,” Xavier said.
“The construction noise, along with the low-frequency rumble of truck engines, makes it extremely difficult to sleep or fall asleep. This type of noise is especially intrusive and disturbing at night when the surroundings are otherwise quiet.”
Residents have been notified when “there will be noise from machinery” through letterbox drops.
But Xavier said this information was often inaccurate.
“For example, [May’s] notice stated there would be only one night of overnight construction [on the 14th], but so far we’ve had four,” he said.
“This inconsistency is very frustrating.”
A maildrop letter outlining the expected impacts of light stage 2A works. Photo: Supplied.
Xavier’s not the only resident along the London Circuit who’s being disturbed by the night works.
Posts on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu have mentioned sleep disruption caused by the construction, attracting multiple comments.
“There is construction work starting at 1 am and lasting until 7 am downstairs in my building. It’s extremely loud and I can’t sleep at all,” one commenter wrote.
“How do I make a complaint call? It started at around 2 am yesterday, and before that, it was around 4 am,” wrote another.
Xavier said he supported light rail as he felt it would benefit residents and help stimulate Canberra’s economy.
But he felt disturbing residents this often was “unacceptable”.
“The notice this month said ‘one night’ of overnight work, so why has it happened four times? Is it due to worker inefficiency, delays, or other reasons? We don’t know,” he said.
“At the same time, I’m not sure whether the relevant authorities in Canberra are properly supervising this project – whether it’s about sticking to the schedule, meeting key milestones, or monitoring noise levels. From a resident’s perspective, it feels like there is a lack of accountability and transparency.”
Xavier reported the issue to Access Canberra in early April, but said he was told this was in Transport Canberra and City Services’ (TCCS) domain.
He has not heard back from any ACT Government department since.
“My request is simple: I just hope the construction won’t disrupt residents’ normal sleep,” he said.
“Work involving loud noises like drilling or low-frequency engine sounds from trucks and excavators (which are very noticeable at night in the otherwise quiet city) should not happen during normal sleeping hours.
“Even with closed windows, those low-frequency sounds penetrate through, making it very difficult to fall asleep.”
An Infrastructure Canberra spokesperson said while most works were carried out during the day, there were times when night works were necessary.
“Any construction works proposed to take place outside normal construction hours require an additional assessment and approval on a case-by-case basis,” they said.
“These works are communicated to affected residents and businesses ahead of time. Mitigation measures such as the use of noise blankets, implementing a ‘no-idling’ policy, limiting the duration of noisy works and installing hoarding and acoustic barriers are also in place.”
The spokesperson said there had been “extensive” community consultation over the years regarding light rail, including door-knocking, public pop-ups, presentations and information stalls.
Impacts of construction were included in the stage 2A environmental assessment report that noted “highly intrusive noise impacts” (classified as more than 30 decibels above background noise) were “occasionally expected” from construction during standard work hours (7 am to 6 pm for weekdays and 7 am to 1 pm on Saturdays).
“It is important to note that the construction scenarios consider sound power levels based on a worst-case 15-minute period and would likely not represent the ongoing day-to-day noise impact at sensitive receivers for any extended period of time,” it stated.
“Other impacts, such as noise associated with construction vehicle movements and vibration from vibration-intensive equipment, would have a low impact on sensitive receivers.
“Any out-of-hours work would require justification, assessment, and more detailed management … There is the potential for sleep disturbance to occur at some receptors in the event of out-of-hours activity.”
The Archbishop’s Residence, QT Tower and BreakFree Capital Tower were identified as three residential areas that “may be highly noise affected”.
The spokesperson said there were many ways the community could provide feedback on the impacts of the construction.
“Infrastructure Canberra aims to provide a response within 10 business days of a complaint being lodged via email,” they said.
“We use all feedback to improve how we plan and deliver these important projects for our community.”
London Circuit west between Northbourne and Edinburgh Avenues was closed in February for light rail construction to begin.
The road will remain closed to motorists and on-road cyclists until late 2027.
Feedback can be provided through a 24/7 phone line (1800 956 409), by emailing lightrailtowoden@act.gov.au, or by writing to: Light Rail to Woden Project, PO Box 158, ACT, 2601.
