What does nuisance mean?

• Under Australian tort law a tort of nuisance can be brought against a person who interferes with someone’s enjoyment of land. It can either be:
  • private nuisance which refers to interference on private property; or
  • public nuisance which refers to interference on public property.
• An example of public nuisance may be unreasonably blocking a public access road such as by parking your car in a driveway and leaving the trailer sticking out onto the road where it blocks traffic while you unload it.
• An example of private nuisance may be a dog that barks loudly all day while you are out at work when your neighbour who is a shift worker is trying to sleep.