Noise Control
Make a noise complaint
Call Council on 07 348 4199 (24-hour line) for these excessive noise complaints:
- Loud party, stereo or band noise
- House and building alarms
- Construction activity
- Nightclubs and bars
- Industrial or commercial sites
- Barking dogs.
Council has the power to control noise that is deemed excessive and unreasonable anywhere in the Rotorua District. Rotorua Lakes Council provides a 24-hour 7-day noise control service. Contact Noise Control on 07 348 4199.
Barking dogs
If your call is about barking dogs, please call the Animal Control team on 07 348 4199.
What we can't help with
Council cannot assist with these noise complaints:
- Traffic noise/noisy vehicles - cars that are moving must be reported to your local Traffic Safety Branch: Bay of Plenty Police station contact list
- Workplace noise - contact Worksafe New Zealand.
What happens when you make a complaint
The Contact Centre will ask for:
- The location of the noise
- What type of noise it is
- Your contact details - your personal details will be kept confidential.
A Noise Control Officer will then be dispatched to visit and determine where the noise is coming from.
To decide if the noise is excessive, the Noise Control Officers consider the effect the noise is having on the complainant, and take into account the time of day, background noise and duration.
Noise direction notice
If the Noise Control Officer finds that the noise is excessive, they may issue a noise direction notice. It states that the noise has to be reduced to a reasonable level. This notice applies for 72 hours from the time it is issued.
If excessive noise from the same location starts up within the 72 hours, please contact the Council again and an officer will re-visit the address.
Penalties for excessive noise
If the person responsible for the noise does not comply with the noise direction notice, Noise Control Officers may take the equipment making the noise or issue infringement notices.
The Council's role in minimising noise pollution
The Council's Noise Control Officers aim to minimise noise pollution by enforcing excessive noise provisions in the Resource Management Act (RMA).
Some types of noise such as noise from industrial or commercial uses have to be measured to make sure they comply with the limits stated in the District Plan.
In the inner city and commercial areas, higher noise levels are allowed. New residential units in these areas must be insulated to give lower internal noise levels.
Solving neighbourhood disputes
Most people live on good terms with their neighbours, but disputes between neighbours do happen.
Try to sort out disputes by talking to your neighbours. With goodwill, most issues can be resolved.
You may need to seek legal advice about your rights. Neighbourhood disputes are ideally suited to mediation. Your lawyer can suggest a suitable mediator.
If your neighbour's activity is contrary to local by-laws or to district or regional plans or other regulations, Council is responsible for any prosecution. Contact Council on 07 348 4199 in this instance.
Check out the decibel scale thermometer for an idea on how noisy your neighbourhood is.
