NCJ Number
230817
Date Published
April 2010
Length
144 pages
Annotation
This document examines police authority to enforcement new noise laws of Queensland, Australia which attempt to reduce excessive noise from off-road motorbikes.
Abstract
Results found that the new noise laws have not provided police with effective law enforcement powers for regulating excessive noise from off-road motorbikes. In the 2 years that followed the introduction of the laws, there were a high number of complaints to police statewide about excessive noise from off-road motorbikes, the very limited application of the new laws by police. Only the first stage of the new laws has been applied; the second and third enforcement stages have not. On July 1, 2006, new noise laws were introduced into the Police Powers and Responsibilities ACT 2000 (PPRA) targeting nuisance motorbike riders who create excessive noise when riding in off-road areas. This document examines the laws' effectiveness in mitigating excessive noise from motorbikes being ridden off-road to determine what other steps might be undertaken to contribute to the effective management of off-road motorbike riding. Data were collected from: a legal analysis of the new noise laws and other relevant legislation; research and policy literature on off-road motorbike industry; Queensland Police Service (QPS) policy and procedures surrounding the new noise laws; QPS and council off-road motorbike noise complaint data and data about police enforcement of the new noise laws; and information from key stakeholders, special interest groups and members of the public. Tables, figures, appendixes, and references