Almost three-quarters of noise complaints made to the Wellington City Council are now over loud music from private homes.
Until 18 months ago, Wellington's noise control officers received regular groans about loud sexual sounds.
But since new regulations governing soundproofing of city buildings came into force last year, noisy coupling
has all but fallen from the radar.
Figures show the council received almost 6000 complaints about noise in the 12 months to last July, with 72 per cent relating to residential and apartment stereos.
A disproportionate 669 of those and 30 per cent of all noise complaints came from the central city area, a consequence of the increased popularity of apartment living, said noise officer Matthew Borich.
Though the percentage of complaints regarding noise from bars and the entertainment sector had dropped - from 40 to 34 per cent - over the last four years, those relating to private stereos in the inner-city had risen 20 per cent to 54 per cent of all complaints.
Powerful and cheap stereo systems, capable of pumping out maximum levels of low-frequency bass, were a main reason.
"Living in an apartment you've got someone living above you, beside you and beneath you. You get that boom, boom, boom that travels right through," said Mr Borich.
A further 40 apartment blocks were scheduled to be built in the city within a few years, but new regulations required developers to insulate and soundproof them, he said.
Officers served abatement notices to 1552 people and seized 86 stereos over the year, 38 more than in 2002-2003.
- NZPA
