National targets noisy exhausts

National today launched a petition to force the Government to take the increasing problem of noisy car exhausts seriously.

“Families all over New Zealand have had a gutsful of thumping exhausts disrupting their sleep. It is also harming our visitor industry,” says National MP Nicky Wagner with National Environment spokesman Nick Smith.

“I am launching my petition in Christchurch’s Cathedral Square because the problem here is out of control and I have been inundated with complaints from businesses and visitors,” says the Christchurch-based Nicky Wagner.

“It is lunacy in New Zealand that we allow well-designed exhaust systems to be replaced by wide-bore exhausts designed to be as noisy as possible.

“The Government weakened the standards in 2004 and we now have 94,000 excessively noisy cars polluting our neighbourhoods. Labour keeps passing the buck to overworked police and local councils rather than introducing clear noise standards and an objective test for warrants of fitness.

“National wants the decibel limit tightened at least to the Australian standard and we want an objective test to check exhaust noise during a warrant of fitness.

“I have tabled my Control of Noisy Exhausts Bill in Parliament to get this problem addressed and this petition is to back this up with public support,” Nicky Wagner says.

Nick Smith says: “New Zealand’s clean green image is compromised from having the slackest vehicle noise rules in the Western world. Nicky Wagner has been right to highlight this issue in Christchurch but communities are suffering from this problem all over New Zealand.

“We call on the Government to get on and fix this problem, and if they won’t, National will through Nicky’s Members Bill,” Dr Smith says.

ENDS