I just got a verbal warning for sanding boat on a Sunday

[Zozza 293]

Not sure what is so special about a Sunday in a secular country, but just got a verbal warning from the council. They actually drove round to specifically advise me  I can't use my sander on a Sunday.  My boat is on a cradle in driveway and I was sanding my rudder, and also sanding the interior.  .

Some tosser in my neighborhood complained about the "excessive noise".

 

What I find strange is, that on any given Sunday there are motor-mowers and blowers etc regularly used around my neighborhood - and I would gather most Auckland suburban neighborhoods - and apparently if someone complains then the council can stop you cutting your grass or blowing your leaves just because it is a Sunday.

Mon-Sat appears no issue if you keep within the hours. 

Again, what is so special about a Sunday?  Btw, this no noisy DIY also applies to Public Holidays.  Wanna do some noisy work on Queens Birthday or Labour Day watch out.

 

 

Residential areas

Monday to Friday

6.30am to 7.30am: low level noise activities permitted (arrival, preparation for work).

7.30am to 6pm: construction work permitted

6pm to 8pm: Construction work can continue, but at a slightly lower permitted level to daytime construction.

8pm to 6:30am: No noisy construction is allowed.

Saturday

7.30am to 6pm: construction work permitted (no activities permitted before 7.30am)

Sunday and public holidays

No noisy construction work allowed.

 

Home handyman and DIY work

This includes home, vehicle and garden maintenance, such as lawn mowing and minor repairs. It does not apply to commercial activities or on-going construction projects. See above rules for construction noise or commercial activities.

​If you plan to do minor repairs or maintenance work on Sunday or public holiday. Then we suggest you inform your neighbours about the work and how long it will take.

You may be asked to stop or served with a notice if:

• a noise control officer assesses the noise as being unreasonable
• we receive a complaint about noisy construction or maintenance work.

We assess complaints on a case-by-case basis.

http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/licencesregulations/noisecontrol/Pages/constructionnoise.aspx#home

[ScottiE 174]

The Law is the Law Zozz! Just be thankful they didn't confiscate your sander, or your rudder!

[Zozza 293]

The Law is the Law Zozz! Just be thankful they didn't confiscate your sander, or your rudder!

 

Heh heh yeah mate!  

Stupid thing is, i can start sanding 730am tomorrow being a Monday! I never would. That is too early...mind you a facetious part of me feels like doing just that!

[Fish 0]

I can understand you would find that significantly frustrating.

 

We have the same restrictions on the hard stand at our club. It is surrounded by residential areas, so in that regard I can understand the restrictions.

I've been well aware of the construction noise limits. I'm very surprised to learn it also applies to DIY, I always thought it was exempt.

[Zozza 293]

I can understand you would find that significantly frustrating.

 

We have the same restrictions on the hard stand at our club. It is surrounded by residential areas, so in that regard I can understand the restrictions.

I've been well aware of the construction noise limits. I'm very surprised to learn it also applies to DIY, I always thought it was exempt.

 

I think what I find more frustrating is that if the neighbour - whomever it was - had have approached and said "hey, how long you gonna be?", then I would have said not too long.  And if I was still sanding two hours later, then go ahead and ring the council.

I find the whole covert action of phoning noise control without giving me a heads up about the noise of a sander all a bit ridiculous.

LIke I say, tomorrow morning at 730am I can go stand on my front lawn and sand the sh*t outa something and wake the whole neighbourhood up - and there is sweet F-all anyone could do about it.

[Zozza 293]

If you started sanding before say 9 o'clock I could understand.

 

I would take up chainsaw sculpturing for a week or two. Do that 6 mornings and evenings for a couple of weeks. Maybe then the moaning tosspot won't be so quick to call the council when you pull out the sander.

 

So many people just look for stuff to moan about. Wankers

 

Started after 10am.  Would have been finished by 1130am.

 

And agree with your last line 100%.

[wheels 543]

What a load of ........ Please insert what ever term you wish.
Apart from the actual name of Saturday/Sunday, there is hardly any real "weekend" anymore. Everything runs 7 days a week now. While some get Sat/Sun as there weekend, many others don't. So why would these rules not apply any day of the week. Mind you, I would be careful arguing that point with the Council, or they just might impose that.
But after 10am on any day, I think someone needs to take a harden up pill if they can't handle a bit of noise.
I would call the councils bluff and ask for their Noise control dude to rock up with the metre and see if he could measure anything. I bet he can't.

[Zozza 293]

You are in Wgtn Wheels? I did some google research and they have a similar DIY policy.

I bet there are not a lot of people in Auckland and Wellington that have no idea about this DIY Sunday Noise policy.

 

When the hell else are those of us supposed to do DIY projects other than Sat and Sun if we work the usual Mon-Fri?

It appears in Auckland's case, this Sunday DIY Policy became City wide when the "Supercity" was formed.

To my way of thinking, if you live in a big city and you don't want noises the f*ck off to the country...and then they'll probably complain about cows mooing or seeing cow patties on the roads...in fact I believe this has happened a number of times.

[Zozza 293]

Mind you, I suppose I am a hypocrite because when my sailing dream comes together I will probably be the first to complain when someone called K.Hunt pulls up in the anchorage I am in and has his generator going all night.

[erice 732]

just turn the stereo up to drown out the sander

 

the music sound limit is much much higher

 

then when noise level turn up to measure the dB

 

just say sorry and turn it off

 

problem soved

[AJ Oliver 154]

We are surrounded by leaf blowers in our gringo neighborhood. 

 

They are run for hours on end on the most beautiful, still fall days. 

 

Hate the things with a passion. 

 

What's wrong with rakes? 

[wheels 543]

Because it's much harder to get the leaves into your neighbours property with a rake.

Zozza, no I'm Blenheim

[wild violet 38]

Have the same sh*t in nelson once a complaint is made no matter how stupid council are obliged to react.am building a small townhouse at the moment in town and have had 3 complaints about noise from ladys who sit at home all day with nothing to do ,was compacting on fri and got told off for shaking a neighbours house and it upset her dog.so we have copyed a 3 story plan out and next time we are going to show them that the sh*t will fly then.

[Vorpal Blade 89]

I had a neighbour climb over our back fence the other sunday while I was busy sanding away with the world's noisiest random orbit sander. He politely asked if I could desist between 11-30 and 12-30 as he was having an open home and didn't want to put off the punters. A reasonable request I thought, instead I set about making some cheap and nasty disposable polyester moulds for boat parts - I chose poly cause its smellier and the wind was in the perfect direction...

[Clipper 343]

I had a neighbour climb over our back fence the other sunday while I was busy sanding away with the world's noisiest random orbit sander. He politely asked if I could desist between 11-30 and 12-30 as he was having an open home and didn't want to put off the punters. A reasonable request I thought, instead I set about making some cheap and nasty disposable polyester moulds for boat parts - I chose poly cause its smellier and the wind was in the perfect direction...

That sounds pretty reasonable. The request, not the poly!

 

I had a neighbour ask, not if i would stop hammering my deck down, but how long i would be as she wondered if she should go to a friends place to sleep during the day (shift worker).

 

Im pretty noisy at times, but only during the day and not too early or late. Reasonable people get it, so no probs yet

[ScottiE 174]

I cut a couple of bolts off my cradle at 4:30pm yesterday afternoon while neighbours had friends round for a drink on their deck.  Popped over and told them first that it would take about 2mins, enjoyed a beer and then went back and did the job. Easy!

[Rhys 0]

Zozza

 

Take it you;re in Wellington?  You were likely closed down by 'noies control' who are ususlly some security firm acting on behlaf of Council.  They have no clue about noise levels/ rules.  'Unreasonable noise' has no definition, which is both helpful and, not so.    Two options for you.  Firstly, most District Plan noise rules have an exclusion tucked away somewhere in them to exclude 'normal household activities' followed by example of mowing the lawns.  I was sanding my window frames yesterday and would strongly argue that sanding is a pretty normal activity.  Second option is the 'construction noise and maintenance' standard, which again, most councils refer to.  This allows noise up to 80dB at the neighbours during the day time as long as you only go for a few days. 

[Zozza 293]

Zozza

 

Take it you;re in Wellington?  You were likely closed down by 'noies control' who are ususlly some security firm acting on behlaf of Council.  They have no clue about noise levels/ rules.  'Unreasonable noise' has no definition, which is both helpful and, not so.    Two options for you.  Firstly, most District Plan noise rules have an exclusion tucked away somewhere in them to exclude 'normal household activities' followed by example of mowing the lawns.  I was sanding my window frames yesterday and would strongly argue that sanding is a pretty normal activity.  Second option is the 'construction noise and maintenance' standard, which again, most councils refer to.  This allows noise up to 80dB at the neighbours during the day time as long as you only go for a few days. 

 

 

Hi mate,

I'm in Auckland.  But yes, it was a security firm that came round.  I phoned the council noise control ph number, and it was legit.

I had no leg to stand on. The council rules for Auckland that I pasted in first post, state that it is up to the noise control  to assess themselves on a "case by case basis". There is no mention of decibel meters,

[ex Elly 197]

DIY ruled too noisy on Sundays

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10721054

[Island Time 1,235]

This is more of the Nanny state crap. IMO. After 9 on Sundays, until 5pm should be fine. How do we get the Laws changed??

The way it is, anyone complains, they are right, and you have to stop. Stupid. How are you supposed to get anything done, other than time off work, or paying a tradie to do it during the week. Just more nonsense.