Find out how the Council monitors and regulates excessive noise in our district and what you can do if you are experiencing noise issues in your area.

Barking dogs

If you’re concerned about the noise from barking dogs in your area, please contact Animal Control on 07 306 0500.

Making a noise complaint

To complain about excessive or unreasonable noise, call the Council on 07 306 0500. If your call is outside normal business hours, it will be diverted to our after-hours call centre. 

If you believe your neighbours are in danger or the disturbance is of a violent/anti-social nature, call 111 and ask for the police.

What happens when you make a complaint? 

• The operator will take the details of your complaint
• These will be sent to one of our Noise Enforcement Officers
• They will visit the property and assess the noise level
• If the noise level is found to be excessive, they will issue a notice which prohibits excessive noise for 72 hours
• If it is breached, a seizure of the noise-making equipment (e.g. stereo) may be undertaken.

It is our policy to keep your details confidential, but anonymous complaints may not be acted upon.

Equipment Seized due to Excessive Noise Problems

If you fail to comply with an Excessive Noise Direction notice (issued under section 327 of the Resource Management Act 1991), your stereo or other noise equipment may be seized by one of our Noise Enforcement Officers, alongside the police. 

If this has happened to you, here’s what will happen next:

• You will receive a letter (to the address where the equipment was seized) outlining what you need to do next
• The fee for equipment seizure is $175 (GST incl.) as per our Annual Fees and Charges. 
• This needs to be paid within three (3) months from the date the invoice was issued.  
• If payment isn’t received within this time, the matter may be referred to a debt collection agency and additional costs will apply. This may impact on your credit rating.
• We will hold the equipment for up to six months from when it was seized.  
  • If the equipment is in an unsafe state (e.g. exposed circuit boards, or damaged power cords) it may go straight to disposal as an unsafe electrical appliance.

To have your equipment returned you need to:

• Contact us to arrange an appointment with a council Environmental Health Officer
• You will need to provide the following: 
  • The letter you received
  • Personal identification (NZ driver’s license or passport)
  • A completed and signed declaration stating that returning the seized items will not result in noise problems resuming
  • Payment in full of costs incurred by Council in the seizure of the equipment

Fines for excessive noise

Under RMA regulations, failing to cease making excessive noise carries a maximum fine of $500. If a Council Officer’s direction to cease making excessive noise is ignored, the noise makers are liable to receive an instant fine.

Failing to provide certain information, such as full name and date of birth, when requested to do so by an Enforcement Officer carries a maximum fine of $300.

Noise control - the Resource Management Act

The Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) is partly concerned with controlling unreasonable or excessive noise to minimise its impact on the environment and people.

The aim is to safeguard people from ‘unreasonable’ or ‘excessive’ noise, while also recognising the rights of people and industry to make some amount of noise. 

The RMA defines excessive noise as any noise controlled by people that “unreasonably interferes with the peace, comfort and convenience” of anyone. Sections 326, 327, and 328 of the RMA cover excessive noise.

The Whakatāne District Council stipulates noise limits and rules in the Operative District Plan, sections 11.2.6 – 11.2-12.