Burns Brendon: Land Transport (Enforcement Powers) Amendment Bill — In Committee Third Reading 
Burns Brendon: Land Transport (Enforcement Powers) Amendment Bill — In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:658;Page:7206] 
BRENDON BURNS (Labour—Christchurch Central) 
: 
 I am very pleased to speak to the Land Transport (Enforcement Powers) Amendment Bill. Labour supports the bill. We want to see enhanced powers for the police to deal with the issue of boy racers and no member of this House knows that issue better than I do. 
I want to ask the Minister in the chair the Hon Steven Joyce the Minister of Transport a very serious and important question. I have looked through the bill and its accompanying legislation for the commitment that was given by the National list MP Nicky Wagner— 
Hon Clayton Cosgrove 
: Who? 
BRENDON BURNS 
: Nicky Wagner; the member may have heard of her. Over the last term of Parliament she gave a commitment to Christchurch that she was going to deal with the issue of noise. As members are probably aware there are a few problems created by boy racers but one of the most persistent annoying and vexatious problems to residents is the noise problem. 
Hon Clayton Cosgrove 
: Anything in here to solve that? 
BRENDON BURNS 
: Well a number of things were promised in respect of it. A petition and a member’s bill were brought to Parliament to have the noise limit brought back from the excessive maximum level of 95 decibels— 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: That is in Part 2. We are on Part 1. 
BRENDON BURNS 
: Thank you. I would like to pose a question to the Minister in terms of general debate because the bill deals with the issues created by boy racers. In respect of decibel ratings why do we not have the measures indicated by the National list MP from Christchurch Ms Wagner? It is important that we know. Is it that the Government does not want to tackle the issue? Is it that it has received advice from officials on it? We have officials present here this afternoon who can perhaps assist. 
I understand that the Government looked at the issue and believes that the problem is that if we reduce the maximum noise level to 90 decibels—and this is a matter for the Minister to clarify—then we penalise a lot of people who are not causing a problem. Those who do cause a problem are those who roar up and down Bealey Avenue Fitzgerald Avenue and other wide major streets in Christchurch and indeed many other streets of inner-city areas in this country. Those are the drivers who need to be targeted. I think the bill does that and I acknowledge the Government for that. Obviously and as noted by the Minister of Police Judith Collins these measures accompany and add to measures introduced by the last Labour Government. It is important that we as a Parliament acknowledge the need to deal with the issues created by boy racers. They are a menace and they need a strong response from Parliament. 
But I suspect that the problem that the Government faced was that if it reduced as had been pledged and promised the maximum noise level back to 90 decibels that would impinge upon the rights of thousands—indeed tens of thousands—of New Zealanders who own a car slightly nosier than 90 decibels. They may for instance have saved up and bought themselves a nice V8 Holden and put a fruity exhaust on it. Somebody may have inherited a car with a noisy exhaust system but is not causing a problem by driving up and down avenues at 2.00 in the morning. It may be that a motor enthusiast has a car configured for racing events and occasionally takes it on to the street but is not causing a problem. That is why I would like the Minister to give us some indication as to whether the Government considered those issues in the context of this bill and the accompanying legislation decided on the matter in hand and made a considered decision. As I said we had repeated pledges and promises from a member of this Parliament that when the Government changed this issue would be dealt with. 
The past Minister in charge of transport issues Mr Duynhoven did address some of the issues and this bill is building on some of his measures. One of those issues is demerit points. Many many boy racers do not pay their fines. It is much better to acknowledge the fact that they do not pay fines will not pay their fines and sometimes cannot even be forced believe it or not to pay their fines. So we are seeing an extension of demerit points. Somebody who owns a $10000 car fitted out for boy-racer activity really does not want to lose it. Demerit points are important because if drivers lose their licence lose their insurance they might still take the risk of driving on the road but firstly they risk the full force of the law being thrown at them for being non-licensed drivers and secondly they will not have any insurance cover. They may at times act like idiots but they are not all stupid. So I think it is important that we see a continuing ratcheting up of measures such as demerit points. 
But I ask the Minister to explain to us what happened to the issue of noise because a very considered promise was made by a member of this House.