Unless I am mistaken, I think Whale is referring to the regulations listed on Page 12 of this document (although I’m sure he’ll correct me if i am wrong). This seems to be related more to building work near residential buildings rather than in them. The EPA’s pamphlet on neighbourhood noise has much less restrictive times for the use of power tools, etc.
However, those rules are primarily but not eclusively desighed for separate dwellings. That’s why you have by-laws and if you have a set that are anything like the standard by-laws, you have recourse via a number of routes.
The most obvious is your right to the peaceful enjoyment of your lot. If you can’t wait for the wheels of Fair Trading and NCAT to grind out their unpredictable verdicts (although you could go for an interim order at NCAT) you could probably go straight to your district court and get a noise abatement order.
However, this would be a very good opportunity for you to get a good set of by-laws in places that set times that work can be done, conditions for rubbish removal, work that MUST be done by a registered and insured professional, use of lifts etc etc and even a damage deposit.
The carrot to get the 75 percent vote is that everybody CAN renovate but they have to follow the rules. The stick is that, as your building ages, more people will want to do this and, as residents get annoyed, they will invoke actions at NCAT and Noise Abatement Orders to shut work down.
Passing a sensible by-law will save the Owners Corp and individual owners tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees – and give everyone back their weekends.