How to deal with persistent noise pollution from a factory

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neb

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#293980 25-Feb-2022 13:27

We live opposite the Birkdale light industrial area, which includes a place called Allproof Industries which has a rear fan facing this area which emits a continuous whine about the pitch of a mosquito and the intensity of a dentist drill. This has been going on for over two weeks now, and runs almost continuously, day and night. When contacted about it, Noise Control are very courteous and polite, issue a case number, and do nothing. The next night they issue another case number, and do nothing. The following night they issue another case number, and do nothing. The last time I called and got the latest case number I asked what it would take to get any action taken, and the person I talked to, while being very pleasant and courteous, had no idea what came next apart from issuing another case number. It seems like Allproof Industries can continue to keep the area we live in awake at night, not to mention the persistent headaches the nonstop whine all day causes, with impunity.

Short of the nuclear option of recording the noise, finding the owners, and blasting it at their house 24/7 like they're currently doing to others, can anyone see a way out of this problem? Obvious ones like "go to Fair Go" will take months, and the house is almost uninhabitable because of this.

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#2874719 25-Feb-2022 13:35

Probably find you'll need someone with an approved sound level device to do a check and go from there.

Have you been over to the factory and spoken (nicely) to them ? It may need maintenance and they don't realize the noise its generating.

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neb

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#2874725 25-Feb-2022 13:43

xpd:
Have you been over to the factory and spoken (nicely) to them ? It may need maintenance and they don't realize the noise its generating.

That was the first thing I did, it was probably the most bizarre conversation I've ever had with a business. I called them up and told them about the problem and asked whether they could do the right thing and sort it out.

They were totally, utterly uninterested.

So I asked them again, and suggested that it really needed to be sorted out, but I would prefer to just do it nicely rather than involving Noise Control.

Total lack of interest.

OK, so if you don't want to do anything the only option will be to go to Noise Control.

Sure, fine.

And then you'll risk prosecution and fines.

OK, sure.

Uhh, just to make sure there's no misunderstanding here, you're OK with being prosecuted by noise control and potentially thousands of dollars in fines (the web site is a bit unclear, it's $500 a pop for residential but I assume an ongoing problem from a commercial site is a bit more so I guessed at a figure).

Sure, no problem. Have a nice day [click].

I was completely flabbergasted, I just didn't know how to respond to that. If this is how Allproof Industries thinks you should run a business I'd hate to be one of their customers...

neb

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#2874727 25-Feb-2022 13:47

xpd:
Probably find you'll need someone with an approved sound level device to do a check and go from there.

Replying to this one separately: Been there, done that. The actual people on the ground have been great, really good to deal with. The problem seems to be that when you call the council number it goes to a general pool that can only record a case but not do much else. At some point the case is picked up by the noise control people who go around and do checks, there's no connection between the two. Persumably because of this nothing actually happens, the council folks were unsure about what the next step was, all they could really do was record a case.

Weatbixs

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#2874762 25-Feb-2022 14:06

Allport or Allproof industries

neb

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#2874764 25-Feb-2022 14:09

Weatbixs:
Allport or Allproof industries

Oops, Allproof Industries, at 17 Bay Park Place, Beach Haven. Can't read my own handwriting, sigh.

Weatbixs

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#2874768 25-Feb-2022 14:12

Just send a barrage of inquires thru there online contact form :P could even make it look like dozens of different properties complaining within the area.

neb

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#2874773 25-Feb-2022 14:18

Weatbixs:
Just send a barrage of inquires thru there online contact form :P could even make it look like dozens of different properties complaining within the area.

Yeah, that was something I'd thought of, organise others who are affected to submit a continuous stream of complaints, but so far I've avoided that because the ones who get caught in the mess are the council phone-answering staff who have to deal with it all while not having any authority to take action. The real offenders are Allproof Industries, who seem to be proof against all attempts to sort out the problem.

The crazy thing is that while Allproof make a big deal about being a family-owned business they couldn't care less about how many other families their wonderful business is keeping awake at night and giving headaches to during the day.

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#2874786 25-Feb-2022 14:26

Nothing you can do if it is under the limit for its zoned area.

You could get council to come out and monitor but depends how council react and on time frame of it being done.

Be prepared for the long haul I would say.

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elpenguino

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#2874797 25-Feb-2022 14:43

neb:
Weatbixs:

Just send a barrage of inquires thru there online contact form :P could even make it look like dozens of different properties complaining within the area.

Yeah, that was something I'd thought of, organise others who are affected to submit a continuous stream of complaints, but so far I've avoided that because the ones who get caught in the mess are the council phone-answering staff who have to deal with it all while not having any authority to take action. The real offenders are Allproof Industries, who seem to be proof against all attempts to sort out the problem. The crazy thing is that while Allproof make a big deal about being a family-owned business they couldn't care less about how many other families their wonderful business is keeping awake at night and giving headaches to during the day.

How about a FB shaming campaign?

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RunningMan

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#2874801 25-Feb-2022 14:47

Who did you speak with at the business? Perhaps make sure you are speaking with one of the directors (i.e. someone who should actually care about the business).

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#2874808 25-Feb-2022 14:56

Where are you located roughly - looking at Google Streetview and maps, theres a fair distance between that business and residential housing.

Kick up a fuss on Twitter/Facebook with the council, they'll look into further if you make it "public".

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neb

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#2874809 25-Feb-2022 14:57

RunningMan:
Who did you speak with at the business? Perhaps make sure you are speaking with one of the directors (i.e. someone who should actually care about the business).

That was the problem, I was talking to someone who I assume was a receptionist. She put me on hold for awhile while she asked others about the issue, but then came back with "not our problem". Since I was so... flabbergasted by the rest of the conversation I never thought to ask whether she could put me through to an adult.

Maybe I'm being overly optimistic about this, but the problem seems to be an inability to communicate the issue to anyone who can do something about it or who even cares about it. Anyone know the owners/directors of Allproof Industries?

neb

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#2874813 25-Feb-2022 15:00

xpd:
Where are you located roughly - looking at Google Streetview and maps, theres a fair distance between that business and residential housing.

Across the inlet from them. Ventilation system pointed in this direction, then clear open water directly across into a residential area, with living rooms and bedrooms facing out onto the water in the direction where the noise is coming from.

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#2874826 25-Feb-2022 15:15

Only one allproof industries in the companies office registry

https://app.companiesoffice.govt.nz/companies/app/ui/pages/companies/634439/directors

Clint

neb

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#2874833 25-Feb-2022 15:24

clinty:
Only one allproof industries in the companies office registry

https://app.companiesoffice.govt.nz/companies/app/ui/pages/companies/634439/directors

Ah, interesting, thanks! And given the Jackson surnames it looks like they're the family that owns it... I'll try and think of a non-creepy/stalky way to contact them. I remain boundlessly optimistic that it's just a case of chatting to the right person.

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