SIGN THE ‘NOISE CAMERA’ PETITION

Turn the Noise Camera Trial into real enforcement.

For years, Bayside residents have raised concerns about dangerous and antisocial driving disrupting neighbourhoods and impacting quality of life. The NSW Government’s noise camera trial has now confirmed what communities already knew: noise pollution is real, concentrated among repeat offenders, and measurable.

Sign the petition to call on the NSW Government to move beyond monitoring and introduce real enforcement powers to reduce vehicle noise pollution and improve community safety.

A surveillance camera system mounted on a pole outdoors, including a microphone, a camera, and other electronic equipment.

Why this matters

This issue is not about ordinary road use or responsible drivers. The Government’s own trial results show that a small number of repeat offenders are responsible for a disproportionate amount of vehicle noise, with motorcycles accounting for approximately 55% of recorded noise events despite representing only around 4% of registered vehicles.

The data also identified repeated offending across multiple locations.

Residents participated in this process in good faith, expecting outcomes that would improve neighbourhood amenity and safety. Instead, the trial concluded without fines, enforcement mechanisms or a clear implementation pathway. Communities have been left asking a simple question: if repeat offenders can now be identified, why isn’t that information being used to reduce the problem?

Peaceful Bayside believes this is an opportunity for NSW to lead. International examples demonstrate that noise cameras can support targeted enforcement and behaviour change when paired with appropriate legislation.

Noise pollution affects health, wellbeing and the ability to enjoy our homes and public spaces. We support practical, evidence-based enforcement, focused on repeat offenders, so residents can reclaim quieter, safer streets.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Noise cameras are roadside monitoring devices that detect excessive vehicle noise and link events to vehicle identification data. They are designed to identify unusually loud vehicles and patterns of repeat offending.

  • The trial, which was instigated in-part by Peaceful Bayside, confirmed significant levels of noise pollution and identified that repeat offenders account for a large share of incidents. Motorcycles were found to generate a disproportionate number of noise events compared with their representation in the vehicle fleet.

  • At present, the trial produced data but no enforcement outcomes. Without legislative change, communities receive measurement without meaningful reduction in noise impacts.

  • We want NSW to introduce reforms that enable targeted enforcement and fines using validated noise camera technology, focused on repeat offenders and serious antisocial driving behaviour. We are also calling for a parliamentary inquiry into noise pollution caused by dangerous and antisocial driving.

  • Peaceful Bayside has advocated for action on dangerous and antisocial driving since 2020 after Peaceful Bayside founder, Heidi Lee Douglas, was almost hit by dangerous drivers twice in one week. We researched options from all over the world and supported efforts to secure the noise camera trial commitment from Council and then the NSW Government. The trial went ahead in Bayside and Wollongong and was completed in 2025 and the data was released in early 2026. We continue to work through community advocacy, media engagement and council leadership to push for practical next steps and progress on this issue.

  • Excessive vehicle noise affects sleep, stress, public amenity and perceptions of safety. Quieter streets support healthier neighbourhoods, more walking, more outdoor activity and stronger local centres. This is not just theoretical – it is backed by evidence. We have discussed this issue with countless residents and business owners over several years and noise cameras that can issue fines is what we they want and what we are advocating for.

  • No. This campaign is focused on addressing a small number of repeat offenders whose behaviour negatively affects the broader community.

  • Government should move from trial to implementation, including legislative reform (so triggering a noice camera can result in a fine, like a speed camera), targeted enforcement and a clear set of ‘next steps’ including a broader review of how road noise is managed across NSW.

  • Cities like London’s Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea are already using noise cameras to identify repeat offenders and support enforcement — showing this technology is ready to be used, not just studied. While NSW is still analysing trial data, France is already moving to fine repeat offenders using the same technology.

Top image shows a car causing a crash on the street, with smoke and damage to the vehicles. Bottom image shows a white car spinning and smoking at a bus stop on the street.
Police officer in uniform with reflective vest and hat writing notes on a notepad at night, illuminated by police car lights, with multiple cars parked or driving nearby.
A parking lot with three parked vehicles: a black SUV, a red sedan, and a gray cargo van. There are tire skid marks on the asphalt and a clear blue sky above.
Street construction zone with orange safety fencing along sidewalk, with wrapped traffic lights and power poles, and vehicles on road in background under partly cloudy sky.
Security cameras and equipment mounted on a lamppost against a backdrop of evergreen tree branches and blue sky.
A nighttime street scene showing parked cars, a motorcycle with a rider, a pedestrian with a backpack, a street sign, a utility pole, and a bike lane marked on the road.
A hand holding a letter from the New South Wales Parliament addressed to residents about a noise camera trial in Bayside, with a photo of a man in a suit at the bottom right corner. The letter includes a QR code for submitting noise reports and infor
A woman with glasses and a man in a New South Wales Police Force uniform are having a conversation indoors. The woman is wearing a black sweater and red scarf, and the man is wearing a light blue shirt with police patches. There are other people and
A police officer in uniform stands at a podium in front of a group of people attending a Bayside Council meeting. There is a large screen behind him displaying the Bayside Council logo and the words 'MEETING' and 'ST GEORGE POLICE AREA COMMAND' with
Multiple emergency responders, including firefighters and paramedics, are at the scene of a car accident with a heavily damaged vehicle against a tree. An ambulance is nearby with flashing lights.
Two women are having a conversation outdoors, with a crowd of people in the background. The woman on the left is wearing a colorful, floral-patterned top, and the woman on the right has her hair in a ponytail and is wearing sunglasses and a white top
People standing on a balcony overlooking a busy street with traffic at dusk.
Nighttime city street view from above showing two pedestrians walking on the sidewalk, a black vehicle on the road, traffic lights, street signs, and a building with lit windows.
A woman with two young boys standing on a city street in front of a parked white car, people shopping and restaurant storefronts in the background.
The image shows a city street at dusk with a colorful sky, trees, streetlights, and some cars on the road.

What is the community saying?

  • "The trial confirmed what people have been reporting for years."

  • “If the technology works, why are there still no consequences?”

  • "This isn’t about punishing everyone. It’s about repeat offenders."

  • "The issue isn’t ordinary traffic, it’s deliberate antisocial driving."

  • "Our homes shouldn’t shake every night from the same vehicles."

  • "We were promised action, not another report."

Tire marks on a street near a drain, with cars and a sign in the background.
Two police officers inspecting a blue car stopped on the side of the road at night, with damage to the front and a provisional license plate visible.
People gathered outside near motorcycles and cars in a parking lot, with trees and buildings in the background under a clear blue sky.
A white car on a city street is on fire, with thick smoke billowing from the rear. The car's garage is emitting smoke, and the surrounding street appears wet, possibly from a recent rainfall or fire response.
Close-up of the rear of a Ford vehicle with a bumper sticker that reads 'DRIVE LIKE A C...' and a blurred license plate.
A woman with brown hair, wearing a white blouse, sitting in front of a cluttered desk with two laptops, a computer monitor, and various office supplies.
Group of six people standing outdoors near a street and trees, observing security cameras mounted on a tall pole.
A solar-powered surveillance camera system mounted on a pole with solar panels against a blue sky.
Australian police officers conducting a roadside check at night, with a blue car pulled over and its trunk open, containing traffic cones.