The noise camera will operate as part of an Australia-first trial for the next year. Photo: Keeli Royle.
Revved up and reckless drivers screeching down Wollongong streets are being put on notice, with a new noise camera installed as part of a crackdown on ‘hooning’ behaviour in the region.
The Illawarra was identified, alongside Bayside and Sydney, as one of the locations for Australia’s first noise camera trial which hopes to help tackle noise pollution particularly by motorists engaging in anti-social behaviour.
“This is not about targeting motor enthusiasts generally, but about those who think that it’s OK to have a vehicle that is louder than what’s legally allowed,” NSW Planning Minister and Wollongong MP Paul Scully said.
The new technology has been installed on a street in the Wollongong CBD which was chosen based on feedback from the community, Wollongong City Council and technical experts, but its specific location is to be kept quiet to prevent the camera being targeted or damaged during the trial.
“We’ve got to test this technology in an environment so we can work out that it is of a sufficient quality to be able to distinguish what could be used for potential enforcement in the future,” Minister Scully said.
Although the camera is operational, no fines will be issued throughout the trial period. A review will help determine if the cameras can be used for regulatory purposes in the future.
“This is the first time this technology has ever been trialed in Australia,” Minister Scully said. “So we’ve got to make sure that the technology works the same way as with, say, mobile speed cameras in the past, with seat belt detection cameras.
“If you start issuing fines and you’re not confident that the technology is doing everything that it’s supposed to do in terms of proper detection, then they can be challenged.
“What we want is to have the message to drivers who decide that their vehicle should be allowed to drive around the exceeding legal noise limits that that’s not on. ”
The emerging technology used in the trial is a weatherproof system which includes a microphone array and dual cameras to record roadside noise and capture high quality audio and video.
As well as the field trials, NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) is also working with the University of Technology’s Centre for Audio, Acoustics and Vibration to test the technical capabilities of an additional camera in their controlled environment.
The trial will conclude by December 2025.
More information is available through the EPA website.
Original Article published by Keeli Royle on Region Illawarra.
