Sources of Help

A lot of credible, easily accessible information is available about the symptoms related to exposure to infrasound and low frequency noise (ILFN). We believe knowledge will empower you to take action, and listed below are some Sources of Help to get you started.

Are you feeling isolated or at risk?

If you are feeling isolated and alone, or at risk of harming yourself, please seek help immediately, if possible from your own health practitioners. Access to timely mental health support in rural areas varies greatly, but the following two organisations can also provide 24 hour contact by phone if you need it.

Lifeline is only a phone call away, day and night (phone 13 11 14 in Australia).

Beyond Blue may also be able to help you. They have a 24 hour telephone support service on 1300 22 4636. Beyond Blue may also be able to suggest local mental health services for you if required, for assessment and ongoing support. Visit the Beyond Blue website.

How to educate yourself

View our Resources

Our Resources section has many of the relevant scientific papers, testimony to senate inquiries by researchers, submissions from people impacted adversely by the noise and vibration and other materials. Resources are arranged in topics, so you can use the relevant topic to search.

Keep a personal health journal

If you think you may be experiencing symptoms related to ILFN exposure, try keeping a detailed personal health journal for a period of time, and take it with you when you see your own health practitioner. Keeping a detailed journal has helped other residents educate themselves, and their treating health practitioner about changes in their health which correlate with noise exposure, even when the precise acoustic exposures and frequencies have not been measured.

If you are able to organise time away from the noise source, and if your symptoms improve or go away, that can be an indication of a causal relationship, especially if this pattern is repeated many times. Reduction of exposure by removing yourself from the source of the noise is the only proven way known to consistently reduce or eliminate the symptoms from ILFN exposure, if it is the cause.

How to educate your health practitioners

If your health practitioner is unaware of the known health problems associated with ILFN exposure, especially from wind turbines, then you can help educate them.

Direct them to relevant resources

Firstly, encourage them to visit the Information for Health Practitioners & Researchers section of our website. Dr Nina Pierpont’s study and Professor Robert McMurtry’s Case Definition are also a good place to start.

The Acoustic Pollution Assessment Guidelines have some of the main references and key concepts about noise measurement. Our CEO’s Cherry Tree statement is a relatively recent summary of the key acoustic and clinical research and findings with an extensive reference list at the back, with links to the documents referred to in the statement.

List other concerned professionals

Sometimes sharing the list of professionals speaking out about their concerns can help your health practitioner realise this is an international problem.

Direct them to the Health & Research Networks page.

Share relevant videos

Excerpts from the Canadian Broadcasting Commission’s documentary called “Wind Rush” can also be useful to illustrate the problems in Denmark and Ontario, and the interviews with Danish and Canadian medical and acoustic experts are particularly useful. Excerpts of that documentary can be viewed at the European Platform Against Windfarms website.

How to find knowledgeable health practitioners

If you wish to locate a health practitioner or specialist familiar with noise related health problems, please contact the Waubra Foundation directly if you are unable to locate one yourself through your local community. Speaking with neighbours and others affected by the noise pollution locally may help you identify local health practitioners with an interest in or expertise in this area.

How to find acoustics and legal experts

If you wish to organise full spectrum acoustic monitoring, please contact the Waubra Foundation and we can give you the contact details of some acoustic consultants who may be able to assist you. We are also aware of some of the lawyers who are working in this area in Australia and internationally.

Other sources of help

Some of the organisations and individuals who offer useful practical advice, information, contacts and support in Australia who have direct personal knowledge of the impact of noise pollution include:

Gary Goland, from Noise Watch Australia

Gary is physically based in South Australia, is familiar with the research literature, the regulatory process and its failings, and has a background in medical research. He has a detailed understanding from personal experience of how low frequency noise can affect health and well being.

Contact Gary – Phone: (08) 8358 4320 | Mobile: 0438 840 002 | Email: [email protected]

Lance Batey

Lance is a survivor of infrasound and low frequency noise exposure from coal mining in the Upper Hunter region in New South Wales, Australia. Lance is happy to help people wherever he can.

Contact Lance – Email: [email protected]

Greg Clarke

Greg is living with low frequency noise from a gas fired power station at Port Campbell, Victoria, Australia. Greg is happy to help share information with people.

Contact Greg – Email: [email protected]

Notify the police

If the audible noise is loud and unbearable, and you cannot sleep and are desperate for some relief which is not forthcoming, complaining to your local police about the noise nuisance is another option.

Urban residents use this for pub and party noise nuisances which disturb their sleep. However many country people, out of respect for their local police, do not choose this course of action because they don’t want to disturb the sleep of the local policeman. However if you ring 000, the call will be logged, which means there is yet another official arm of government made aware of the severity of the problems you and your family are experiencing.

Suffering in silence and alone is no longer necessary. The problems are real, and individuals working in the responsible planning, health and noise pollution regulatory authorities have a duty of care, which is being ignored by them at many levels of government.

Formal notification of the problems will help hold all those responsible accountable.