Councillors should fall on swords over failure to act on traffic noise

A group of citizens recently made a second petition to Waipa¯ District Council to reduce traffic noise levels on a major traffic road corridor in Te Awamutu.

Again council turned down our application and voted to do nothing.

An official council noise survey done at night on Cambridge Road showed a general background noise of 56 decibels and when one of the huge trucks now using this corridor went by the noise level went up to 65-70dB. And this happened over 70 times in the night.

The connection between high road noise and the effects on community health along these road corridors has been known for over 20 years.

Even Waipa¯ District Council accepted it in the 2009-10 long term plan.

The frequency and high decibel noise on this road puts this road in the danger level for community health.

Since council accepted the link between noise level and community health, nothing has been done on this problem and nothing is planned in the new 10-Year Plan.

Council has a maximum night time level of 40dB for Te Awamutu, but has withdrawn this level from the road corridor communities.

In fact these road corridor communities have no acceptable noise levels maximum at all.

This problem should have been tackled years ago. Three councillors voted in favour of our petition and one other councillor is hoping to have talks with staff to sort this mess out.

The amazing thing was that senior staff addressed council on our submissions each time and told council nothing needed altering.

For staff to tell council this risk to community health is OK is almost unbelievable.

Councillors who voted to allow this to continue should remember they are up for reelection soon. Anybody who puts vulnerable children and older citizens of the affected communities in this situation one day longer than is absolutely necessary should fall on their sword now.