The Swiss city of Zurich is to slap a ban on most leaf blowers and leaf vacuums for most of the year after nearly two-thirds of voters backed the idea.

Petrol-powered machines will be banned while only electric devices will be permitted, in an ongoing battle against noise and dust pollution in Switzerland’s largest city.

It is not Zurich’s first attempt to ban petrol-fuelled leaf blowers and leaf vacuum cleaners, which have been criticised for being too loud and spreading dust. The local Greens party had first sought a ban in 2013, presenting a petition with more than 4000 signatures.

Switzerland’s system of direct democracy allows citizens to launch referendums if they collect a minimum number of signatures.

On Sunday, the ban was was one of six proposals put to the city’s voters, about 53 per cent of whom turned out to vote. Some 61.7 per cent of them backed the leaf-blower ban.

Green and progressive parties had advocated for the new regulations, which will mean leaf blowers will generally be allowed only during autumn and early winter – from October to December.

There will be some exceptions for specific cases, such as for construction work or cleaning up after major events in the city, which has a population of nearly 450,000.

Supporters of the restrictions successfully argued that leaf blowers are not only noisy but also spread bacteria and fine particulate matter, known to have negative respiratory and cardiovascular effects.

Limiting their use to specific months would also protect the habitats of small creatures that serve as food for birds, lizards and hedgehogs, the proponents said.

Opponents, however, had argued the restrictions represented “an absurd and antisocial culture of bans”, the city’s voting materials stated.

They also suggested there were already fines for excessive noise, making additional bans unnecessary.

In other democratic decisions on Sunday, in the Swiss canton of Thurgau, residents voted to relax an old ban on non-religious events, including dancing, during five public holidays – Christmas, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Pentecost Sunday, and on the Federal Day of Thanksgiving, Repentance, and Prayer.

Thurgau’s far-right, which opposed the change, had initiated the referendum. The revision to the so-called dance ban was approved with a 51.1 per cent in favour.

It means cultural and sporting events will now be permitted in Thurgau, but they must be held indoors and involve no more than 500 people.