16 November 2004

Wind affects speedway noise data

Noise monitoring data collected at Western Springs Speedway on Saturday night cannot be used for enforcement action due to strong north easterly winds.

The New Zealand Meteorological Service has advised that the wind speed above the stadium was approximately 25kph higher than that inside the track, creating an artificial increase of the measured noise levels. This prevented the noise from being assessed in accordance with the relevant New Zealand standards.

The public address system used by the promoters on Saturday night complied with acceptable noise levels despite the wind conditions making readings artificially high.

Auckland City Environments Group Manager Barry Smedts says the results recorded on Saturday night are not reliable for any type of enforcement action.

“Noise monitoring in these sorts of conditions is not an exact science and unfortunately we can’t eliminate the role that mother nature plays,” he says.

Last week Auckland City issued the speedway promoter at Western Springs with an infringement notice for exceeding the maximum allowable noise levels during the first race meeting of the season.

“We hope the promoter will continue to work on improvements to comply with the standards set out in the district plan so that people can enjoy the speedway and residents can be satisfied that compliance is being achieved,” says Mr Smedts.
The speedway has been operating at Western Springs for 75 years. The stadium hosts a maximum of three practice sessions, 20 races, and six concerts each year.

For information on noise control and for the results of last week’s monitoring at Western Springs, please go to: http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/council/services/noise/westernsprings.asp

ENDS

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