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Environmental noise can harm human health and negatively impact people’s daily activities at home, school and work and during leisure and can cause a range of disturbance and annoyance reactions among individuals. Building on a socio-acoustic survey in Auckland in 2016, the objectives of this study were to define and quantify the responses to noise exposure from road traffic, railways and aircraft in selected locations throughout New Zealand.

A total sample of 2,212 completed the survey. The findings of the study can be extrapolated to the New Zealand population exposed to transport noise on the basis that the wider exposed population have on average the same opinions as the sample population. When compared to the World Health Organization 2018 environmental noise guidelines, the sampled New Zealand population is more sensitive to road-traffic noise, is less sensitive to railway noise and has similar sensitivities to aircraft noise. The study’s findings for road-traffic and railway noise are comparable to the findings of the previous New Zealand study.

Keywords:

acoustics; aircraft; annoyance; aviation; disturbance; exposure; health; sleep; community; noise; road; rail; transport

Authors:

• Darran Humpheson, Tonkin + Taylor, Christchurch
• Katrina Magill, Research New Zealand, Wellington