Act wants 'noise cameras' to catch loud cars and boy racers

The Act Party is campaigning on deploying a “fleet of relocatable noise cameras” to catch “excessively noisy vehicles” in the hope of bringing “peace to communities”. 

The policy, revealed on Saturday, appears to be intended to help Act’s James Christmas campaign in the east Auckland electorate of Tāmaki, with the party saying the initial rollout of 20 relocatable noise cameras would partially start in that area. 

Act currently holds Tāmaki, having won it off National in 2023, but its incumbent MP, Brooke van Velden, is stepping down. Christmas, a former National Party candidate now standing for Act, will compete against National’s Mahesh Muralidhar and Labour’s Max Harris, among others. 

In a press release, Christmas said he had heard from locals that they wanted noisy vehicles addressed. 

“I can see the attraction for boy racers to come to Tāmaki, but it’s not fair on the families and working people who have their life disrupted just because they live in a great location with nice streets,” he said. 

“These kinds of disturbances are already illegal, but effective enforcement can depend on a police officer happening to be in the right place at the right time. By the time a person makes a complaint and an officer shows up on the scene, the vehicle could be long gone.” 

Outgoing Act MP Brooke van Velden for the Tāmaki electorate with new party recruit James Christmas (right). 

Act is promising to introduce relocatable noise cameras which can be deployed in communities “suffering persistent problems with excessively noisy vehicles”. 

“Modern noise cameras combine microphones, video and number plate recognition. They measure the sound generated by passing vehicles, identify which vehicle produced it, and record the evidence needed for enforcement,” the party’s policy says. 

“Instead of requiring a police officer to personally witness an offence, excessively noisy vehicles can be detected as they pass and infringement fees issued in the same way as speed cameras.” 

These would be “targeted at identified hotspots”, with the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) able to relocate them “as problems emerge rather than allowing drivers to simply learn the location of a permanent camera and avoid it”. 

The party pointed to the cameras’ use internationally, as well as a temporary local use in Tauranga in 2013 to detect noisy truck engine braking. 

The Land Transport (Road User) Rule 2004 already prohibits excessive noise, but Act says it’s currently a “largely subjective test, which is difficult to enforce automatically”. 

For example, the current rule allows for a consideration of a range of circumstances, including the time of day, locality, and the “likelihood of annoyance”. 

Act would introduce a specific noise limit for the cameras to measure, with its starting point being 86 decibels on roads with speed limits of 50km/h or less, and 90 decibels between 50km/h and 70km/h. This would be subject to consultation and technical testing. 

The party would also make necessary legal changes so “evidence from approved noise cameras can be used to issue infringement notices”. These would be in place by the end of 2027, Act says. 

Act leader David Seymour. Photo / NZME 

The infringement fee for operating a vehicle that creates excessive noise would be increased from $50 to $300, with the maximum court fine increasing from $1000 to $3000. 

“Parliament has already legislated those penalties for the separate offence of creating excessive noise within or on a vehicle, which can include noise from car stereos and sirens. 

“From 9 January 2027, that offence will carry a $300 infringement fee and a maximum court fine of $3000. No equivalent increase was made to the offence covering excessive noise produced by the operation of the vehicle itself, including excessive engine and exhaust noise.” 

An infringement fee would only be issued where it can be established the noise limit was exceeded, and the sound was attributed to the identified vehicle. Data collected by the camera would be subject to “strict retention and deletion requirements”, and those issued with a notice would be entitled to request a copy of the evidence. 

Act would allocate $2 million for the initial rollout of 20 noise cameras starting in Tāmaki and other hotspots, a “conservative” costing it’s based on international and local experience. 

“Hard-working Kiwis shouldn’t be punished by people who can’t take personal responsibility for their noise. Noise cameras enable evidence of offending to be collected the moment the offence occurs,” said Christmas. 

“Pairing technology with clear standards and real consequences will give residents the peace and quiet they deserve and ensure the comfort of many isn’t sacrificed for the noise of a few.” 

Jamie Ensor is the NZ Herald’s chief political reporter, based in the press gallery at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the Newshub press gallery office. He was a finalist in 2025 for Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards.