Excessive noise is any noise that is under human control and of such a nature as to unreasonably interfere with the peace, comfort and convenience of any person.
Examples of excessive noise may include a loud party, stereo, band practices, audible alarm or machinery.
You should know:
- There is no one set level for noise that is acceptable.
- The level of noise that is acceptable varies according to the location of your neighbours, time of day, zone you live/work in, presence of sound barriers and the type of noise.
- The same noise levels during the day may not be acceptable at night.
- Noise from moving vehicles such as aircrafts, boats, trains and cars are not under our control.
The Resource Management Act 1991(external link) (RMA) is designed to:
- Protect people from unreasonable and excessive noise.
- Ensure that there is no sleep disturbance during night time hours.
- Provide effective noise control in our community.
- Protect the rights of people and industry to make a reasonable level of noise.
The RMA defines the term excessive noise as being any noise under human control which unreasonably interferes with the peace, comfort, and convenience of any person. Visit the New Zealand Legislation website for the full definition.
How loud is that?
