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Kaipara District Council is urging members of the community to be considerate neighbours, after a rise in noise complaints.
Between May-June and June-July, complaints to council rose from 46 to 56, according to monitoring and compliance services manager Dean Nuralli.
In a “proactive reminder to our communities”, council offered tips to keep noise within acceptable limits, advising people to alert neighbours in advance of plans to have a party or carry out noisy activity; to restrict noisy yard work to reasonable, daylight hours; to comply with resource consent noise restrictions; and to check building and vehicle alarms regularly.
If people disregard noise control officers’ written notices, the equipment responsible for the noise may be confiscated. The process of recovering impounded equipment includes payment of a fee covering the cost of seizure and storage, and an administration cost.
“If noise from your neighbour is impacting you, try talking to them in the first instance,” council suggests. “If that doesn’t work, you can give us a call on 0800 105 890 to make a complaint.”
“We plan to continue to remind our communities during spring and summer,” Nuralli said. “The simple message is, please be considerate of your neighbours.”
The Resource Management Act defines as “excessive” any noise under human control that unreasonably interferes with someone else’s peace, comfort, and convenience. It can include noise from a musical instrument, electrical appliance or machinery, or simply loud people, but excludes aircraft and vehicle noise.
