Bay's rowdiest streets revealed

Riverbend Rd is one of the noisiest streets in Hawke's Bay. Photo / Duncan Brown

Residents of Napier's noisiest street say they're tired of "young hoons" doing burn-outs and skids up and down the busy road.

Some of Hawke's Bay's rowdiest streets have been revealed after local authorities released data showing the number of noise complaints received per street to Hawke's Bay Today.

Figures released by Napier City Council showed in the year to February, Riverbend Rd in Maraenui was the source of more noise complaints than any other in the city, with 35 complaints in total.

The next noisiest street was Chester Place, Taradale, with 31 complaints.

A Riverbend Rd resident who did not wish to be named said she was not surprised the street had so many complaints.

"Yes, it is noisy. It's cars screeching at all hours. They zip along here."

Another resident said young drivers were targeting the street to do burn-outs and skids.

"There's always people skidding it up and burning it up. There's a lot of dirt bikes and motorbikes too."

An elderly man who had been living on the street for 40 years said the problem was "young hoons" driving modified cars on the street.

"We've been here 40 years and this street has got busier and busier. We get young hoons coming down here at 80km/h plus. They've lowered cars, without mufflers. You can be lying in bed and you hear the boom box coming, it just about lifts you out of bed at night."

He said it did not help that there was a school, daycare centre and church located on the road, which served as a busy thoroughfare between Kennedy Rd and Taradale Rd.

Hastings District Council declined to release a breakdown of noise complaints per street, but a council spokeswoman said noise control officers dealt with a total of 2538 complaints in the year to February.

"On 53 occasions, council staff seized the stereo or other noise-making equipment."

Meanwhile, information released by Central Hawke's Bay District Council showed Carpenter St in Waipukurau was the district's noisiest street, with 18 noise complaints in the year to February. In the Wairoa District, Apatu Street was the noisiest, with 14 complaints in the year to February.