Great Barrier Island issues and options

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Noise of generators - Great Barrier Island

Issue

Noise from generators, particularly diesel and petrol generators, is a common reason for complaint on Great Barrier Island. The District Plan has noise levels for generators - a L10 level of 55dBA during the day and 45dBA during the night. These are values that New Zealand Standard NZS6802: 1991 (Assessment of Environmental Sound) states are "the desirable upper limit of exposure to environmental noise for the reasonable protection of community health and amenity". The later 1999 standard (NZS6802: 1999) also suggests that daytime levels of 45-55dBA Leq and 35-45dBA Leq at night "should not be exceeded during any measurement sample time at any point within the boundary of a zone, site, or area required to be protected, for example, the notional boundary of a rural dwelling." (Note that the new Plan should replace L10 with Leq (the time average level) to be consistent with NZS 6802:1999.)

Most problems with generator noise are related to the age of the generators used on Great Barrier Island and the fact that most are housed in structures that are insufficiently insulated to reduce the noise to the standards of the District Plan. The problem is greater in areas such as Tryphena where houses are relatively close together, especially if the generator is used after 10pm, when night levels apply. Arguably, in situations where the generator will be used after 11pm the present night level of 45dBA should be even lower, because of the low background noise levels on Great Barrier Island.

Information pamphlets on reducing generator noise have been available at the service centre for a number of years.

Possible approaches

You may have a better or alternative approach to those outlined below. If so, we would like to hear from you.

• Retain the status quo.
• Instigate proactive measurement of generator noise and provide information to those who exceed the noise limits.
• Insert location and insulation controls into the District Plan.
• Review the noise level controls for generators.
• Require that the location of generators be shown as part of any resource consent application.
• Insert discretionary activity controls for generators into the District Plan.
• Undertake more enforcement of lower noise levels.