‘Nightmare': Meriton resident faces ‘unrelenting' noise from Woolworths loading dock metres away
Yang Yuan, 32, has questioned how building standards allowed the unusual layout of Mascot Central, where he claims his family is exposed to 'severe industrial noise', including reversing trucks, heavy metal impacts and rolling pallet jacks, from 7am to 11.40pm every day.
'It's a nightmare,' he told news.com.au.
'The noise is very intermittent, very random and very loud. The workers on the loading dock work on shifts — we are there, we don't have shifts. When they're working, I put my hand against the bedroom ceiling and I can literally feel it shaking. It feels as if we're living inside the loading dock.'
The software engineer purchased the $750,000 one-bedroom unit in November last year and moved in with his wife and two cats straight away.
The mixed-use Meriton development, located in Sydney's inner-south, was completed in 2016, and the developer says it has never received any noise complaints until now.
But Mr Yuan, who has recorded multiple videos of the loud banging and industrial noise reverberating through his bedroom, says he feels abandoned by Meriton, Woolworths and Bayside Council, accusing them of repeatedly 'deflecting or denying responsibility' despite repeated complaints.
'They have put a lot of effort into denying the problem but if they had put the same amount of effort into investigating the issue it might already have been solved,' he said.
Mr Yuan said the noise made it 'impossible' to work from home, 'rest or live comfortably', and left the couple's mental health in tatters.
'I've previously lived in some of the noisiest environments imaginable — next to highways, above bus stops, near construction sites, even beside neighbours playing instruments,' he said.
'None of that ever bothered me. When I say this loading dock noise is unbearable, it's not about sensitivity, it's genuinely extreme.'
He and his wife, who works as a freelance digital artist, are now 'suffering from chronic sleep deprivation, heightened anxiety and constant anger'.
'Most of our free time is now spent fighting this — countless hours filming, recording, investigating and contacting different parties for help,' he said.
Mr Yuan and his wife have now moved their bed into the downstairs living room to escape the worst of the noise.
'In the living room we can also hear the noise but it's like 10 per cent better,' he said.
He added that he felt the build quality contributed to the noise penetration.
He said the building materials were 'definitely not good for isolating the noise considering you're building next to the loading dock.'
After his initial complaints to Meriton, the developer obtained a noise testing report in April, which found no issues.
In May, Mr Yuan hired a professional acoustic engineer at his own cost.
Over a two-day period, KR Acoustic recorded more than two dozen instances at nearly double the limits prescribed by the Association of Australasian Acoustical Consultants (AAAC) for 'impulsive' noises such those as generated by weight dropping in gyms.
The sample identified 10 noise events measuring 61dBA during the day, versus the 35dBA limit, nine measuring 58dBA during the evening, when the limit is 30dBA, and six at night measuring 50dBA, double the 25dBA limit.
The noise events were 'both loud and frequent, regularly exceeding allowable limits at all hours of the day', the report said.
KR Acoustic concluded that noise was 'structure-borne, originating from activities at the Woolworths loading dock, and it consistently exceeds the impulsive noise limits set by the AAAC, particularly in relation to gym weight drops but also relevant for similar structure borne impulsive noise in general'.
'The measurement results substantiate residents' concerns, providing sufficient grounds for authorised officers or enforcement personnel to further investigate and to classify the noise as offensive,' it said.
'It is very likely that the noise contributes to elevated stress levels of the residents.'
Mr Yuan provided the report both to Meriton and Bayside Council in June.
The council said it was investigating the noise complaint, but in July informed Mr Yuan that Meriton had provided its own acoustic report which countered his, and declined to pursue the matter.
Mr Yuan said he had only been provided a summary of the conflicting report.
'No one is trying to help us,' he said.
A Woolworths spokesman said the Mascot Central store was operated 'like any one of our supermarkets'.
'The store is open between 7am and 10pm, and receives deliveries throughout the day,' he said. 'We've been operating in the community for close to 10 years. If there's any further questions about the operation of the shopping centre, they're best directed to Meriton.'
A Meriton spokesman said Mascot Central was a 'well established development now over 10 years old, and to date, this is the only complaint Meriton has received regarding noise from the loading dock'.
'The concern was raised by a new owner who has only recently moved in,' he said.
'It's important to note that the previous owner of the same apartment did not report any noise issues over a nine-year period, nor have we received similar concerns from other residents within Mascot Central, which comprises 1200 apartments. Nonetheless, Meriton took the matter seriously and engaged an independent acoustic engineer to conduct a thorough assessment. Noise monitors were installed over a period of time. The investigation confirmed that noise levels were well within the acceptable range and did not exceed any regulatory thresholds.'
Bayside Council said in a statement it was 'working with Woolworths and Meriton to identify any additional noise mitigation measures that could be implemented, while still supporting the approved use of the site'.
'Under the current development consent, Woolworths is permitted to operate until midnight, with loading dock use allowed until 10pm,' a spokesperson said.
'An acoustic report was submitted by one resident in early June 2025. Meriton, who manage the retail complex, provided an acoustic report in response and their findings conflict with the resident's report. Council will continue to work to find a suitable resolution for all parties.'
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