This document is mainly a guide for regulators, including the Department of Primary Industries, and planning and responsible authorities under the Planning and Environment Act 1987. It also guides EPA’s implementation of NIRV through compliance and approval decision making. Where this document refers to ‘you,’ it is addressing such regulators.When applying NIRV you need to consult this guide as part of your decision making, such as when issuing statutory approvals or exercising compliance powers relating to the environment. This guide is also relevant to industries addressing noise in their applications or when responding to noise issues.