By Heather McCracken

Noisy neighbours face instant $500 fines as Auckland City Council gets tough on persistent offenders.

Infringement notices will be issued on the spot by noise control officers, in the same way parking wardens issue tickets, says councillor Aaron Bhatnagar.

Noisy commercial premises will face fines of $750.

Bhatnagar said the council had been able to impose fines of up to $10,000, but only after a lengthy court process. That made such punishments "extraordinarily rare".

The council receives about 21,000 noise complaints a year. The figure is rising about 7 per cent every 12 months.

Applying the new, standard penalties would send a clear message about the consequences of breaking the rules, Bhatnagar said.

Officers would be armed with sound-measuring equipment to establish if noise levels had been breached.

Tony Mayes from the Mt Albert Residents Association said he had to call noise control to a neighbour's party two weeks ago. Officers were slow to arrive, but they confiscated drums "and that quietened them down".