“Looking out for your community.”
Noise is an inevitable part of living in a community. But with just a little consideration and communication, noise can be managed so we can all live together peacefully.
The Council is able to step in when noise being generated by some members of the community is excessive and causing a disturbance to others. Excessive noise is any noise that is under human control and unreasonably interferes with the peace, comfort and convenience of any person. Examples of excessive noise are noise from a loud party (people noise), stereos, band practices, burglar alarms or machinery.
The level of noise that is acceptable varies according to location of 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.
You can complain about excessive noise at any time of the day or night, but it is important to phone when the noise is occurring so that a Noise Control Officer can take action.
Call (04) 237 5089 anytime of the day or night
If a Noise Control Officer is called out to investigate the noise they will determine if the noise is reasonable and within permissible levels. It may not be necessary to use monitoring equipment to determine if the noise is excessive. The noise may have ceased or subsided or be deemed not excessive by the Officer. If the noise is deemed to be excessive, a Noise Control Officer may give a verbal warning or serve a written direction to reduce the noise. This is in force for up to 72 hours.
If the noise continues, recurs or increases you will need to re-advise Main Security. A Noise Control Officer will determine if any written direction has been breached. If so, the Officer and the police will seize the equipment. If seizure is not possible a notice of Non-Compliance with Direction to Abate Excessive Noise is issued, and prosecution may result. Fines of up to $10,000 may apply.
Yes; the noise maker is not advised as to who has complained. Your details are only required by the council in order for us to monitor ongoing noise problems.
For more info visit:
http://www.pcc.govt.nz/
Apart from your home, your car is probably your most valuable possession and possibly the most vulnerable. Thousands of cars are stolen every year, or broken into and property taken. Some vehicles are never recovered, and those which are recovered have often been damaged and left undrivable.
Motor Vehicle crime is a serious problem and apart from the general inconvenience or hire costs for a replacement vehicle until insurance payout, the loss can be a traumatic experience for the owner. The wider implications of motor vehicle crime can affect the whole community, as criminals have been known to steal cars to commit serous offences and have, at times been the cause of fatal accidents.
There are four types of thieves committing motor vehicle crimes;
1. The Opportunist Car Thief
This criminal, frequently called the "joyrider" looks for vehicles to use as a means of temporary transport. An unprotected car, easy to break into, will be searched for and if an insecure one is not found, a forced entry will be made to a vehicle parked at a location providing cover. The stolen vehicle is normally abandoned the same day.
2. The Professional Thief
This criminal intends either to keep the car or sell it for profit in an altered condition. The vehicle may be stripped, resprayed, modified and resold with changed identification numbers and registration plates.
3. The Secondary Thief
This criminal does not steal the car for themself but for the specific purpose of committing a further crime.
The vehicle may be hidden for a few days, possibly fitted with false plates, and used for a robbery or similar offence.The vehicle is normally abandoned immediately afterwards.
4. The Property Thief
This criminal is not interested in stealing the car, but is after any property owners may have left in side.
Apart from the actual car thefts, from time to time there are people who attempt to sell vehicles which are stolen but subject to hire purchase agreements. These fraudsters are some times found at car fairs waiting to tempt the unsuspecting with a favourable price. Alternately, they may advertise in a newspaper "for sale" column at a bargain rate.