Lobby group to noisy MP: boy racer blame is yours - not ours.

Labour MP Tim Barnett’s attack on Christchurch City Council’s boy racer strategy is unnecessary and misguided, according to noise control lobby group Noise Off.

Mr Barnett has reportedly labelled the Christchurch city leaders incompetent over a perceived lack of action against noisy car hoons. The MP’s outburst appears in today’s Christchurch Press: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/thepress/0,2106,3570189a6009,00.html

Noise Off spokesperson Jonathan Gillard says Mr Barnett should examine his own party’s blunders and lack of action, instead of attacking civic leaders in Christchurch.

“The nationwide epidemic of deafening car noise was created by the current government,” he says.

“Mr Barnett’s own colleagues are to blame for turning New Zealand into the Wild West of exhausts”

Mr Gillard says current legislation allows for modified exhausts to be up to "noticeably and significantly louder" than the manufacturers original equipment.

“Transport Safety Minister Harry Duynhoven was warned last year about the lack of effective legislation, and he chose to ignore those warnings.

“New Zealand’s boy racer noise is now a daily nightmare for home and business owners, and a massive turnoff for international visitors,” Mr Gillard says.

The Best Option

Noise Off believes the new test should require that noise from a modified exhaust is:

Less than, or similar to the manufacturers original equipment

No louder than 90 decibels (stationary tail pipe test measured at 4000 rpm); the level that has applied in Australia since 1983.

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