To enable planners, environmental professionals and decision makers to have a bird's eye view on the overall ambient noise picture associated with key non-transport related activities, the survey results are summarised in Figure 4.4. This figure is purposely formulated in such a way that the characteristics of each activity related to different size of operation are made distinctive.

Each activity is classified into one of the three categories according to its relative size of operation. When there are two monitoring locations representing the same activity of same size of operation, the monitoring result of the two locations are generalised such that the average population exposure pattern to the same noise level band at the same time period is deduced and the figure is expressed in percentage term. The upper and lower range of population exposure pattern are also listed to show the variation of results between different locations.

There were no data applicable for large Cargo Handling operation, medium and small Industrial Estates, large Container Trucks Parking operation and large and small Container terminal. This is because no survey items match these categories.

The distance between population and noise source at each monitoring location could be a useful tool for the purpose of planning analysis. Table 4.9a lists out the separation distance between population and noise source at each monitoring location.

To ensure no deterioration of the noise environment, future development of the six targeted activities should be located no closer to sensitive receivers than the relevant existing separation distance, as listed in Table 4.9a. For planning improvements, the larger separation distances rather than the smaller values, should be considered as the minimum benchmark (optimum distance).

Table 4.9b presents the recommended minimum separation distances, based on surveyed data and rounded for planning purposes, for each type of activity.

The employment of minimum separation distances is only one of the methods to plan against potential noise disturbances. It will be prudent to conduct noise estimation on individual cases to account for different circumstances and parameters.