Noise Compliance Testing Plan
The endorsed NCTP is the bridge between the Planning Permit, NZS 6808:2010 and the post-construction noise compliance record.
Why the NCTP matters
The NCTP was prepared to address the Planning Permit requirement for a Noise Compliance Testing Plan before development commenced. It specifies operational noise limits, monitoring procedures and compliance reporting procedures, and was approved for the Minister for Planning.
Planning Permit
Conditions 22–27 established noise-related obligations for construction and operation. Conditions 24 and 25 concerned the NCTP and post-construction compliance reporting.
NZS 6808:2010
The NCTP implements the NZS 6808 framework for operational measurements, background sound relationships, wind speed correlation and special audible characteristics.
Administrative record
Later agency decisions, FOI outcomes, compliance assessments and the Trustee's Annexes are read against the NCTP because it records the endorsed methodology.
K15aa requirement in the NCTP
The NCTP records that K15aa was surveyed in August–September 2017, that the data was significantly affected by a local source and was not considered suitable for typical background noise levels, and that repeat monitoring was subsequently carried out. It then states that, before commencement of operation, an updated background noise report was to be submitted to the responsible authority detailing the K15aa monitoring results and any additional background monitoring.
Mandatory procedures highlighted by the NCTP
| Section | Requirement | Repository issue |
|---|---|---|
| 4.1 | Operational measurements at preferred receiver locations including K15aa, subject to permission. | Measurement location and reference receiver methodology. |
| 4.1 | Measurements within 20 m of dwelling and as close as practicable to background monitoring location. | Notional boundary / continuity between baseline and operational measurement. |
| 4.2.1 | Unattended monitoring, 10-minute LA90 intervals, Class 1 instrumentation, audio and modulation data. | Technical data integrity. |
| 4.2.2 | Synchronised site wind speed intervals and 93 m AGL reference wind speeds. | Hub-height wind speed correlation. |
| 4.4 | Special audible characteristics identification and assessment procedures. | SAC methodology and attended observations. |
| 6.0 | Operational reporting and compliance reporting procedures. | Documentary verification of what was reported and when. |
Relationship to the Planning Permit Amendment
The Planning Permit Amendment record is significant because the amendment process concerns removal of operational noise conditions, including the NCTP framework, while the Trustee's record identifies unresolved documentary and administrative questions concerning implementation, custody and verification of that framework.