As the winter chill sets in, many Australians will look at their heating options but a little-known rule about air conditioners may catch some households off guard.

In Australia, air conditioning systems should not be heard in habitable rooms of neighbouring homes during certain hours.

If a neighbour complains about the noise, authorities can take several courses of action, depending on the state or territory.

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This includes dispute resolution between the neighbours, noise assessments, issuing warnings and providing advice.

Further action can be taken in the form of fines and court attendance notices.

Penalties be hundreds or even thousands of dollars for individuals and corporations, depending on local legislation and the nature of the breach.

Have you been fined for using your air conditioner? Email the reporter at eb******@******om.au with the details.

Households are still able to use air conditioners at night, provided the noise does not disturb their neighbours.

Air conditioning systems can also be used during times where health may be impacted, such as during heatwaves in summer.

What are the regulations across Australia?

New South Wales: In NSW, neighbours should not be able to hear your air conditioner in a habitable room between 10pm and 7am on weekdays, and 10pm and 8am on weekends and public holidays. During the day, noise should not exceed background noise level by more than five decibels.

Victoria: Victoria has noise regulations which cover central heating, a hot water system or a heat pump, air conditioner or split heating system. Neighbours should not be able to hear these before 7am or after 10pm from Monday to Friday, and before 9am or after 10pm on weekends and public holidays. Prohibited times do not apply to noise from an air conditioner used for cooling during a heat health alert.

Queensland: Where a local council has not set its own noise standard, the default noise standards in the Environmental Protection Act apply in that local council area. Air conditioner noise should not exceed five decibels above background level between 7am to 10pm and three decibels above background level between 10pm and 7am.

Northern Territory: Air conditioners should not be heard by neighbours in habitable rooms before 8am or after 10pm on weekends or public holidays or before 7am or after 10pm on any other day. A habitable room means any room other than a garage, storage area, bathroom, laundry, toilet and pantry.

South Australia: The continuous noise of an air conditioner in residential areas must not exceed 52 decibels during the day between 7am to 10pm. During the night between 10pm to 7am, the continuous noise of an air conditioner must not exceed 45 decibels.

Western Australia: The noise from air conditioners in residential areas must comply with the Environmental Protection (Noise) Regulations 1997. The noise from your air conditioner must meet the allowable noise levels at all times.

Tasmania: Air conditioners should not be noisier than 45 decibels between 7am and 10pm or 40 decibels between 10pm to 7am.

Australian Capital Territory: Noise should not exceed 45 decibels in residential areas between 7am to 10pm from Monday to Saturday and 8am to 10pm on Sunday and public holidays. During the night, noise should not go above 35 decibels between 10pm and 7am from Monday to Saturday and 10pm to 8am on Sundays and public holidays.

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A man is lucky to be alive after he was allegedly mowed down by an intoxicated driver during an evening stroll south-west of Brisbane.

Will was walking to the shops about 7.30pm in Ipswich on Saturday when he was allegedly hit by a Holden Commodore.

The 42-year-old was sent flying and suffered back injuries, cuts and bruises.

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"I was walking down here about to go and get a loaf of bread, I didn't know a loaf of bread was so dangerous," he told 9News.

"I just laid on the ground and didn't move.

"A lady in one of the houses came out and said 'don't move' … she got a towel for me to rest my head on."

CCTV, exclusively obtained by 9News, showed the car driving on the wrong side of the road and mounting the kerb before the driver allegedly left the scene.

The driver didn't get far and allegedly crashed into a tree a few hundred metres away with police quickly on scene.

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The driver allegedly attacked police, which resulted in an officer being sent to hospital, before he was arrested.

Fred Pukallus, who is accused of driving the car, was charged with dangerous driving while intoxicated, driving unlicensed and serious assault of police. 

The 39-year-old will remain behind bars until his matter returns to court on June 17.

A man has died after an alleged stabbing at a Thai restaurant in Queensland.

Just 20 minutes before the eatery was due to open at 5pm, emergency services were called to the Joy Thai restaurant in the Townsville suburb of Kirwan.

Police officers found a man with multiple serious injuries, and despite attempts to revive him he died at the scene.

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A man in his thirties was taken into custody at the scene and was assisting police with their inquiries, they said tonight.

Earlier reports said a woman was also stabbed but police said no one else was injured in the incident.

Officers are also speaking to multiple other people at the scene, and said there is no ongoing threat to the public.

A man wearing underwear as a mask evaded police following an attempted robbery in Port Melbourne last week.

Police believe the man entered the Bay Street hotel about 2.15am last Wednesday, before approaching a staff member.

The man allegedly threatened the staff member with a firearm, demanding cash, detectives said.

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Police said the staff member was unable to access any money, and the man fled the scene.

No one was physically injured during the incident.

"At the time of the incident, it is believed he was wearing some kind of dark material draped around him like a cape and a pair of dark-coloured underpants on his head," police said.

"He also had on a black t-shirt, light-coloured pants and white runners."

He was last seen running away from the hotel on CCTV, before tripping on his cape and following on the ground.

Investigators are appealing to the public for information and are hoping to speak to anyone who may have seen the man in the area in the lead-up to or after the alleged robbery.

Some of the draft findings were inaccurate and incorrect: agency.

Lian Hunia had no intention of handing over any money for the iPhone the man was selling.

Promoters suing the Australian Grand Prix for $8 million in damages claim Robbie Williams' 2020 concert was cancelled based on misleading information about health advice.

The first day of the F1 event at Melbourne's Albert Park was cancelled just before gates opened, on Friday, March 13, 2020, over the looming threat of COVID-19.

Williams was due to perform at Lakeside Stadium the following day as part of the four-day event, but this was also cancelled and ticketholders refunded.

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A trial has begun in Victoria's Supreme Court after World Touring Melbourne brought civil action against the Australian Grand Prix Corporation over the cancellation.

The promoters want the grand prix to fork out $8.7 million in damages.

Then-Australian Grand Prix chief executive Andrew Westacott told the promoters he'd received a "blanket directive" from Victoria's chief health officer Brett Sutton to cancel both events, in a phone call played to the court.

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"In the global scheme of all the events, it's sadly the decision based on all the cards we're all being dealt with," Westacott said on the call.

"It's just one of those unfortunate things we have to deal, and move on with."

World Touring's barrister Nicholas de Young KC said evidence showed the health advice was a recommendation and not a directive, and alleged the grand prix had misled promoters and withheld information about Sutton's views.

"The plaintiff would have run the concert had they known the true position," he told the court on Monday.

De Young said mass gatherings were prohibited in Victoria from the following Monday.

He said World Touring lost $8.45 million due to the cancellation, after paying back $2.4 million in ticket sales and losing further revenue from predicted merchandise, food and drink sales, as well as sponsorship and TV and film content.

Barrister Gerard Dalton KC, acting for the grand prix, denied it had misled promoters or that Westacott had misrepresented Sutton's advice.

Further, he said that was "irrelevant" as the concert would have been cancelled by the CEO either way.

"It doesn't matter if he misrepresented the CHO's advice by saying it was a direction when in fact, it was a recommendation," Dalton said.

"What matters is, would the concert have gone ahead?

"The concert did not go ahead because Westacott decided that it could not go ahead, in light of the advice that he received from the chief health officer."

The trial before Justice Clyde Croft continues.

Passengers were caught off-guard when the pilot braked suddenly while taking off.

A report has made multiple recommendations for improvement.

Family members have made a desperate plea for help after a beloved farmer and real estate agency owner vanished in central Victoria.

Patrick Connally, 74, was last seen driving a 1986 white Toyota Land Cruiser in Heathcote about 2pm on May 24.

Police said he could have travelled to check his rural property in Baynton, but he failed to return that night.

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Police and family have concerns for the 74-year-old's welfare due to medical conditions.

Sergeant Holly Lembke described the disappearance as a "bit of a mystery".

"We have been searching extensively on land and from the air. We are particularly for his vehicle in that large area and surrounding roads that he may have taken," she told media today.

"We are also keeping an eye on his bank account, which he hasn't used. We have concerns for him due to a medical issue which he requires medication for every day."

Police believe Connally could have taken a wrong turn, become disorientated and lost. 

"He doesn't have a mobile phone. That's been difficult too," Lembke said.

"We don't believe he has been met with foul play but we are keeping our minds open."

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The community has been out in force searching for the grandfather of five since he went missing.

"It's critical to get him back home, nothing more is important for us know," his son Justin Connally said.

Police have urged anyone with information to contact them.