Wagner Nicky: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
Wagner Nicky: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
[Volume:629;Page:1124] 
NICKY WAGNER (National) 
: 
 Like most Kiwis I am proud of New Zealand’s natural environment and I believe that as we develop as a country it is imperative that our development is environmentally sustainable. We can create health and wealth for New Zealand while we nurture our clean green environment and image. Sometimes environmental issues are complex and we have to make difficult trade-offs and decisions. But at other times there are straightforward ways to improve our environment and if that is the case it is our responsibility to take immediate action. 
Earlier today the Prime Minister mentioned the environment briefly and she assured us that she was concerned about environmental issues. But in terms of noise as an important environmental issue and in particular in terms of the thumping wailing and howling of deliberately noisy exhausts in our towns and cities throughout the country she and the Minister of Transport are not vaguely interested in lifting a finger. According to the Government’s own research there are over 94000 excessively noisy vehicles on our roads. That equates to 9500 747 aeroplanes taxiing through out streets. It is no wonder that families are sleepless in the suburbs and that businesses are being destroyed. 
Hoteliers and restaurateurs across the country tell me depressingly similar stories of losing business of losing customers and of losing money. Night after night guests are unable to sleep in our hotels and morning after morning they refuse to pay their hotel bills. They quite rightly say: “I am paying for a bed to sleep in. You might have provided the bed but these noisy cars meant I couldn’t get a wink of sleep. I’m not paying.” And they do not pay. I wonder whether the Hon Annette King paid her bill in Christchurch a fortnight ago. She complained to the press that she could not get a wink of sleep at 1.30 in the morning on the 20th floor of a central city hotel because of noisy exhausts. 
We need to support our local businesses we need to support the tourist industry and we need to support our international clean green environmental image. We cannot afford to have tourists saying: “Don’t go to Tauranga; don’t go to Christchurch; don’t go to New Zealand if you want to enjoy your vacation.” The problem has blown out over the last 6 years because the Labour Government has failed to take any action on this issue and this is an environmental issue that is simply fixed. There is no huge complexity there are no difficult trade-offs and there is not even any extra legislation required. There is absolutely no excuse for the Government to be dragging the chain. 
This problem can be solved very simply. Firstly the Government needs to review the noise standards for cars coming into New Zealand. They were last set by a National Government in 1976 and they have not been updated. Most other countries have tightened their standards so now we are hopelessly out of line. It is no wonder that tourists are amazed at the level of noise they experience in New Zealand. It is a level that is totally unacceptable in other countries including Australia the UK and Europe. Secondly the Government must introduce an objective test for cars in use that can be monitored at warrant of fitness stations. Exhaust systems are just another part of one’s car. Noisy exhausts are faulty exhausts and should be treated no differently from bald tyres non-functioning lights or worn brakes. When one takes one’s car to the warrant of fitness station one will find that the 95 percent of cars that comply will just pass through. But the 5 percent of noisy cars will be identified with an objective tailpipe test and be required to upgrade their mufflers. It is a very simple and cheap solution. 
Earlier today the Prime Minister stated that the status quo is certainly not good enough. I agree with her. The status quo in terms of noisy exhausts not only is not good enough but also is an appalling reflection on the incompetence of this Government which has done nothing about an environmental issue that disturbs so many New Zealanders and is so easily fixed. If only Labour cared enough to take action. 
There is another reason why the Government should act urgently. The thump of noisy exhausts is intrinsic to the cult of boy racing. It is part of the excitement and the crowd mentality. Every week kids are killed because they are driving too fast and dangerously. They congregate in noisy packs all over the country they show off they race and they kill both themselves and others. Getting rid of noisy exhausts is a simple first step in trying to defuse the deadly horseplay of boy racers on our roads and it just might save a life. 
I believe that there is absolutely no excuse for this Government’s lack of action on noisy exhausts. Its slack laws mean that law abiding citizens throughout the country are being disturbed night after night companies are losing business and our clean green environmental image is being destroyed. This issue needs to be dealt with right now. If Labour continues to procrastinate I will be calling on all members of this House to support my member’s bill to control noisy exhausts and thus to support their local constituents—hundreds of whom have contacted me and are signing my petition.