People are entitled to make a reasonable level of noise, but everyone also has the right to have excessive noise stopped or reduced, provided the noise is under human control.

Noise can disturb or annoy some people and not others.  If the noise being generated from your property is clearly audible from your neighbour's boundary, it may be considered excessive.  Noise complaints investigated by Council's Noise Services are assessed subjectively.

Noise can come from a number of sources including alarms, stereos, or construction activity.

Noise control officers have jurisdiction under the Resource Management Act 1991 to control noise.

The Act is designed to:

• protect people from excessive noise
• provide effective noise control in our community
• protect the rights of people and industry to make a reasonable level of noise

The City Plan stipulates permitted noise levels within defined zones.  Noise monitoring is undertaken in instances where the effects of an activity are not able to be assessed subjectively i.e. noise from an extraction fan on a commercial site which is creating an adverse effect on a residential land use.

Reporting a noise complaint

Any person can make a complaint about noise which they judge to be unreasonable or excessive, simply by phoning 0800 116 803 or 07 577 7000 at any time of the day or night.  Complainants' details are kept confidential.

Your complaint will be handled by a security company contracted to the Council.  This is a 24 hour service.

Council's policy requires two separate complaints about a specific noise source before a noise control officer is despatched.

If noise is deemed to be excessive the enforcement officer will issue an excessive noise direction. This notice requires the noise to be reduced immediately and is effective for a period of 72 hours.  If further complaints are received and the noise level has not been reduced within the 72 hour period after an excessive noise direction has been issued, an enforcement officer, accompanied by a police officer, can enter the premises and remove whatever is making the noise, or render it inoperable