Papamoa Tavern is on a final noise warning after a barrage of complaints from neighbours forced the city council to take action.
The popular tavern in Domain Rd was issued with a noise abatement notice about six months ago and an alleged infringement on January 20 resulted in the tavern owner
being fined $750.
Twenty nearby residents took their case to a Tauranga council meeting this week, saying they had been subjected to "outrageous" noise levels late into the night from bands playing in the tavern's garden bar.
One petitioner, Percy Rd resident Abi Clarke, said that on many nights they called the noise control officer two or three times but the music just got louder.
"The best response we had was when we called the police. They agreed that the level of noise they could hear via the telephone was totally excessive and dispatched a unit to deal with it."
Another petitioner, retired doctor Terry Jones, said it was like having an open-air pop concert on his doorstep. Bass guitar notes were often so powerful that they vibrated the walls of his Papamoa Beach Rd home.
"It is impossible to sleep. We have even tried earplugs but they do not provide sufficient protection."
Dr Jones said people living close to the tavern dreaded weekends.
"I cannot believe that council bylaws allow open-air concerts of this nature and frequency. It might not be so bad if they stopped at 10pm."
A common theme among petitioners was frustration with council noise control measures.
Dr Jones recalled being told by noise control that the band was finishing at 10.45pm but two hours later it was still playing. He rang back twice to complain and no one answered on the second call.
Monday's council debate concluded with Mayor Stuart Crosby agreeing to review noise enforcement rules. Council environmental monitoring manager James Jefferson said a "very frank" discussion had taken place with the tavern owner.
The next infringement of the tavern's acoustic certificate would result in the council seeking an enforcement order through the Environment Court. If the tavern breached an enforcement order it became a contempt of court issue and a "much bigger stick".
The council has raised general noise control issues with the contractor, Armourguard.
Mr Jefferson said the problem was not on-the-ground enforcement but the way in which complaints to the noise control call centre at Rotorua were managed.
"They could explain the procedures a little more compassionately."
Mr Jefferson urged people to ring as soon as the noise became a nuisance and not get wound up into a frazzle. The call centre often received extremely abusive calls.
This week's meeting was told how the council adopted a "three strikes and you are out" approach to noise enforcement, with the Environment Court as the final strike.
Cr Bill Faulkner said it should be one strike and you are out.
Mr Crosby said the council seized enormous quantities of sound equipment each weekend.
Efforts by the Bay of Plenty Times to obtain comment from the Papamoa Tavern owner were unsuccessful, although the recent concert by Wellington band, The Black Seeds, finished at 10pm.
Papamoa Tavern is on a final noise warning after a barrage of complaints from neighbours forced the city council to take action.
The popular tavern in Domain Rd was issued with a noise abatement notice about six months ago and an alleged infringement on January 20 resulted in the tavern owner
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