Hoon noise camera trial ends, but more could pop up soon

A trial of cameras designed to capture noise-polluting vehicles in built-up areas has ended in New South Wales.

Though exact figures haven't been published, the state government says the cameras – set up within Wollongong and Bayside councils – have gathered data which will now be analysed by the NSW Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).

Authorities claim all noise events captured were related to aggressive acceleration, with motorcycles being responsible for approximately 55 per cent of incidents – despite only accounting for four per cent of vehicles registered in the state.

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Nights and weekends were found to be peak periods for loud vehicles; however, the NSW Government claims 55 per cent of the events captured were caused by the same group of vehicles commuting throughout the day.

“Noisy vehicles and anti-social driver behaviour is a huge frustration for many Wollongong residents,” said Minister Paul Scully, Member for Wollongong.

“The noise camera trial showed that while the technology is still developing, it can provide useful insights that will help improve enforcement.

“It shows it’s a small number of drivers doing the wrong thing and being a big irritant for residents.”

However, in August 2025, residents in Wollongong suburb Austinmer claimed the technology had actually made the situation "unbearable", with hoons deliberately targeting the noise cameras, according to the Illawarra Mercury.

"Somehow the bikers and the noisy cars have found out and they're blasting their horns or revving their bikes right next to the camera to set it off," a local told the newspaper at the time.

"It's made the problem worse if anything, but we're hoping that'll die down when they bring fines in."

While the cameras themselves didn't issue fines during the trial period, which commenced in December 2024, the EPA worked alongside NSW Police and Transport for NSW to “target noisy and illegally modified vehicles” – with officers conducting inspections for exhaust decibel tests.

Cars and motorbikes with exhaust or audio systems that exceed legal limits can be issued with on-the-spot fines of up to $600, with repeat offenders at risk of being prosecuted in court.

According to the office of Penny Sharpe, NSW Minister for the Environment, a total of 16 vehicles were issued with defect notices in late 2025 during enforcement campaigns in Bulli and Rockdale.

“We have heard the community’s concerns about car and motorcycle hoons. This trial and compliance will help to take further action on our roads,” Minister Sharpe said in a statement.

“The [NSW] Government is continuing its efforts to identify noisy and illegally modified vehicles. Officers conduct random checks in hooning hotspots and assess whether vehicles meet noise standards.”

Earlier this month, the City of Port Phillip in Melbourne began stepping up pressure on the Victorian Government to begin its own trials.

“Council has been advocating for anti-hooning measures since 2022 as our residents shouldn’t feel scared and sleepless by this dangerous behaviour,” Port Phillip Mayor Alex Making said, claiming he had received almost 150 complaints from residents about hoon behaviour.

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