In Australia for the first time, Bayside Council in Sydney’s south is looking to start testing new audio and camera technology that will appeal to drivers who drive with noise.
If a vehicle is louder than 90 decibels, a camera will take a picture of the vehicle’s license plate, which will eventually lead to a fine.
The trial, which has yet to be green-lit, is a joint effort between Bayside Council, the Government of New South Wales, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and NSW Police.
“Bayside Council has used sophisticated high-tech cameras combined with license plate recognition technology to help curb anti-social behavior and I believe we are well qualified to participate in any no test on noise-activated cameras,” said Bayside Council Mayor Dr Christina.
Currently in New South Wales, cars have a noise limit of 90 decibels and motorcycles have a noise limit of 94 decibels.
The EPA has the potential to impose fines of up to $600 on drivers of vehicles who “exceed regulatory noise limits.”
A lighter fine of $200 applies to drivers who are “using a vehicle that makes an unpleasant noise.”
NSW Police also have the possibility of a $200 on-the-spot fine and a two-point deduction for violators who use their audio systems to make “annoying noises”.
Officers can issue error messages for noisy vehicles, and if vehicle owners fail to correct the problem, EPA reserves the right to suspend vehicle registration.
This is not the first time Bayside Council and NSW Police have experimented with ‘hoon cams’.
In 2021, NSW Council and Police tested license plate recognition software to capture “illegal activity and anti-social behaviour”.
These cameras are also capable of catching anyone who defames local businesses with graffiti.
Bayside Council says the cameras have significantly reduced incident reports from the community.
Bayside Council is responsible for the suburbs including Arncliffe, Banksia, Banksmeadow, Bardwell Park, Bardwell Valley, Bexley, Bexley North, Botany, Brighton-Le-Sands, Carlton (partial), Daceyville, Dolls Point, Eastgardens , Eastlakes, Hillsdale, Kingsgrove (part), Kogarah (part), Kyeemagh, Mascot, Monterey, Pagewood, Ramsgate (part), Ramsgate Beach, Rockdale, Rosebery (part), Sandringham, Sans Souci (part) ), Turrella and Wolli Creek.
