A total of 46,023 noise complaints were received by Auckland Council between 1 Jan 2022 and 29 Nov 2022. Although it excludes the most merry season of all, Party Season, it is down for the same period last year – 53,231 – a 13.5% decline
Duncan McNeil, Managing Director of Acoustic Fencing company Supply Force, says for every complaint there will be many more that go unreported. In a city of over 1.6 million people, 46,000 may not seem like much, but the noise will affect a great deal more. It is likely that more people will also be impacted as we head into party season.
Noise is more than a nuisance for some people, and can cause severe anxiety symptoms like fear, distress, irritation, or anger. Physiological symptoms can include racing heart, sweating, muscle tension, and shortness of breath.
What starts with one party, can then lead to thoughts of whether is there going to be another one this weekend. You may become hypersensitive to noise, which may cause you to be bothered by sounds to which you were previously oblivious to.
In addition to noise anxiety, a lack of sleep takes a big toll on people. Sleep deficiency effects can range from not being able to complete day-to-day tasks efficiently, to causing physical and mental health problems when it becomes a regular occurrence.
Supply Force International helps protect people from the impact of noise pollution by supplying sound barriers to minimise noise levels. These permanent noise fences not only significantly reduce noise pollution, but they also act as a design feature on a property. SFI’s permanent noise fences work by acting as solid structures that intercept and reduce sound within the shadow it casts. They reach up to 5.1m in height and can be custom designed to suit any home or business.
“A decrease in the noise of 10dB would be perceived to be half as loud. 10dB equates to 90% of the noise energy, ” McNeil says.
As we approach the festive season, it means there will be more parties and gatherings, and inevitably more noise. Investing in permanent noise fences could be the solution you have been looking for to finally get good quality sleep – consistently.