Public Health

Functions include:

• investigating and controlling health nuisances, infectious diseases and loud noise.
• the inspection of commercial premises such as food premises, hairdressers, offensive trades, camping grounds and funeral directors.

There are regulations which specify minimum standards for these businesses to protect and enhance public health.

Health Act nuisances

Health nuisances can cause the spread of disease and cause annoyance.

Examples are:

• a smelly compost heap which attracts flies and rats to an area. Rats harbour infectious diseases which can then be passed onto people. Refuse which is not put out for collection and shellfish, including kina, left on the ground to rot rather than buried are other examples.

For information about the "nuisances provisions" under the Health Act 1956, follow the link below.

Health Act 1956, Section 29 (NZ Legislation website) Opens in a new window.

Noise control

Loud noise is particularly annoying and can cause stress which leads to illness. The Resource Management Act 1991 requires that people must control noise at all times to reasonable levels. Night time parties and stereo music with very low base is particularly stressful to people living nearby and the law provides Council with the power to require immediate control of what is termed “excessive noise” at any time of the day or night. “Excessive noise” means any noise under human control and Council has appointed staff from Environmental Northland Limited (ENL) under contract to carry out excessive noise control services around the clock.

When we receive a complaint about loud noise, the enforcement officer will listen to the noise and where the noise is deemed excessive will then ask the noise maker to immediately turn the noise down. The officer does not have to use a sound level meter to measure the noise. The request to reduce noise covers a period of 72 hours.

Where the noise maker does not turn the noise down or alternatively turns it down and then makes noise again within the 72 hour period then the enforcement officer, accompanied by a police officer can return, enter a house or property and seize the stereo of other device making the noise.  Council may return the stereo on payment of costs but where the noise has been ongoing from the property then we can choose to confiscate the equipment.

Our noise control service can be used at any time of the day or night by phoning  +64 9 438 7513.

For information about the "excessive noise provisions" under the Resource Management Act 1991, follow the link below.

Resource Management Act, Section 326 (NZ Legislation website) Opens in a new window.

Infectious diseases

There are a number of infectious diseases which cause illness such as diarrhoea and vomiting which can be spread from person to person.  Bacteria such as campylobacter and salmonella and the Hepatitis A virus can be caught from eating contaminated food including shellfish or drinking untreated water and then spread to other people through poor food handling practices.

The Health Act 1956 requires that certain infectious diseases are notified to health authorities so that there is follow up to ensure that illness does not spread through the community. Doctors are required to notify infections and our Environmental Health Officers then follow up by discussing the illness with the patients to track down where the illness has come from and to stop it spreading. Often good hand washing and food preparation practices will stop the spread within a family. 

For information about foodborne illnesses, follow the link below.

NZ Food Safety Authority website. Opens in a new window.