The City of Melbourne has “lost control” of street preachers who are using amplifiers, says a resident whose wellbeing is being negatively impacted from having to listen to intrusive preaching and singing for hours on end and late into the night.

The resident who lives near Flinders Street Station told the Rationalist Society of Australia that they have made several complaints to the council about the excessive noise coming from preachers who are using microphones and sound systems.

While council officers attend the precinct to monitor the street preachers, they do not enforce council rules against the use of amplification, the resident said.

In recent weeks, the resident has kept a log of the amplified preachers, religious musical groups and gospel singers who preach or perform outside Flinders Street Station almost every day, with some beginning as early as 7.30am in the morning and some staying as late as 11pm.

On one day in September, the person identified in the log as the “loudest preacher” was there for four and a half hours.

Video evidence provided to the Rationalist Society of Australia also shows street preachers running loose speaker and microphone cables across busy footpaths, creating a tripping hazard, and instances of multiple amplified preachers and religious musical groups competing over the top of each other.

“There’s no control on amplification or volume level, even in council’s own ‘no amplification’ zones, and there is no limit on how long someone can stay there,” said the resident.

“Someone visiting the city and walking past might hear a preacher for a minute or two if that. But these groups set up at full volume and stay for five to six hours at a time.

“I hear can it through my closed window even while I’ve got the TV on. The noise comes booming in almost on a daily basis nowadays.”

The resident has asked the council to enforce its existing rules against excessive noise and the use of amplification devices.

The council’s Activities Local Law 2024 prohibits activities in public places that “cause or commit any nuisance”, “adversely affect the amenity”, or “interfere with the use or enjoyment” or the “personal comfort of another person”.

The council also has provisions against “causing excessive noise”, including the “use or operation of an amplifier or noise-making or enhancing device” in a public place if it is “capable of interfering with the reasonable comfort of any person who may be in the vicinity in that public place”.

Earlier this year, the City of Melbourne told the Rationalist Society of Australia that it was aware of increased use of “excessive amplification” by street preachers, including by preachers who were derogatory towards women.

In June, the Rationalist Society of Australia raised concerns with Lord Mayor Nick Reece and council Chief Executive Officer Alison Leighton about religious preachers using microphones and loudspeakers and causing a “nuisance and an unpleasant disturbance of the peace for many visitors to the city”.

In 2016, the council trialled a full ban on amplified busking along Swanston Street after receiving 264 noise complaints over three years. But, following a community backlash and petitions, it us understood that council allowed amplified busking with battery power at set hours and with a few small no-go-zones.

While buskers are required to have permits and comply with several rules – including not performing in front of train stations – street preachers are not required to have permits.

The resident said they were aware of gospel singers and church singing groups using ‘religion’ as an excuse not to have permits, even though some also perform popular songs.

The resident said they were not asking for religious preachers to be banned but simply for council to enforce rules against excessive noise.

“To be clear: I’m not asking for anyone to be moved on or for anyone’s right to preach or perform to be curtailed. I want amplification itself regulated consistently with the same kind of decibel limits, zones and hours that already apply to buskers — whatever is being amplified,” they said.

“As technology has advanced, it has become far more common for buskers and street preachers to use mics and amps. Now several groups set up for their various beliefs and preach amplified at the same time, drowning each other out.

“It has had a real effect on my quality of life.”

A spokesperson for the City of Melbourne said the Activities Local Law may be reviewed and updated later in 2026.

Si Gladman is Executive Director of the Rationalist Society of Australia. He also hosts ‘The Secular Agenda’ podcast.

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