Please consider the matter of an uncontrolled giant in our community, NOISE and its bullying imposition by those who use it to intimidate and abuse others, as a silent election issue condemning current politicians.
Elected Councillors declare it is a national issue out of control, (SMH
article on new noise policy for NSW. 26 10 07).
If not purposeful, unwarranted noise is a thoughtless waste of energy.
It is an inherent distraction to productive and creative thinking.
Noise is an alarm signal to all those with sense to watch its
association. Noise distraction has potential to put at risk anybody
doing anything but watch where it is coming from. For those who have
been sensitised to the presence of noise, unwanted noise is torture.
Noise leaves an impression in the mind that can be forever recalled. It
is not just a matter of the here and now, the issue is the lasting
impact on those exposed. When noise exposure is repeated and
intimidating, it is an act of cruelty. The highly unethical
implications of regulators ignoring those who ask for help from noise,
is akin to gross negligence. In fact for the few cases that have found
their way into court, that has been the determination.
While there is investigation of chemical contamination, and air
pollution, there is invariably no evidentiary evaluation of noise
complaint without pre-contact. No quantification of the noise dose or
exposure time. Despite legislative responsibility in many States, most
Councils don't even own a noise logger.
Barking dogs = irresponsible ownership. No Party is willing to defend
the right of pets locked up, starved or otherwise tormented. No level
of Government is willing to directly engage mistreatment of animals and
critically, the impact of barking on neighbours. Continual deferral of
by-law enforcement, delay in progressing guidelines involving The
result: dog attacks on people, poisoning, verbal and written abuse. There is a disgraceful neglect of compliance issues by authorities.
I write on behalf of NoiseWatchAustralia, to ask you to assist us to
change this situation. I ask for your assistance in developing a more responsible
management strategy for reducing the intrusion of noise in our community.
We believe that it is time Governments started to develop calm policies, not
unlike strategies and policies adopted by Rudolph Giuliani in New York
in recent years.
There are processes that businesses can take to identify and reduce
noise at its source. There alternatives to bombarding passers by with
noisy messages in shopping centres, and loud music in hair salons.
We see, and are informed of many situations of gross negligence related
to noise control in both work and living environments.
Where innocent
people are subjected to noise that they can't tolerate, and where
those responsible choose to use its presence to bully and evict people
from their homes.
For us NOISE is the big political issue of the 21st Century. There
is a rush to build success in our living space without reference to
what happens along the way. The value of something we all silently long
for, QUIET, is ignored, yet for the same reason, the Romans had sense
to ban horses from residential roads of a night.
Subjective restraint by authorities to enforce compliance is
interpreted as a weakness. The even-handed presentation by Environment
Officers clearly ignores public responsibility to ensure quiet is
overt. Their motives in ignoring it become questionable. The absence of
any review process allows these individuals to abuse the privilege of
authority that is invested in them. The absence of an audit of process
is a reflection on their strength and their commitment to public well being.
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