Friday, 14 August 2026

 Ryan BATCHELOR (Southern Metropolitan) (18:23): (2707) My adjournment matter this evening is to the Minister for Environment. The action that I seek is for the minister to confirm that the Environment Protection Agency Victoria will conduct a trial of acoustic noise cameras in the City of Port Phillip to target hoon driving. We know that last year the EPA received more than 9000 noise complaints, of which almost 5000 related to vehicle noise across Melbourne. The Port Phillip council, a local government area in the Southern Metropolitan Region, is one of the hotspots for hoon driving that has been identified arising out of these complaints. The hoons are congregating on local streets such as Beaconsfield Parade, disrupting residents who are trying to sleep. We know that a lack of sleep does affect health and wellbeing for everyone, particularly these residents on Beaconsfield Parade. But it is not just a noise pollution issue, it is a safety one as well. Hoon drivers often tear along streets conducting dangerous manoeuvres at speed with no regard for the safety of others, either other drivers or any pedestrians in the local area.

Currently noise complaints are directed to police and EPA officers, who rely on witnesses to identify vehicles responsible for the noise. Residents should be able to live in peace and safety without having their evenings disrupted by the sound of vehicles tearing down their street, and that is why the Labor government is working with Victoria Police and the EPA to trial acoustic cameras across Melbourne. The trial will assess the feasibility of acoustic cameras to identify vehicles that are noncompliant and will assess whether they can support current efforts on compliance and enforcement of vehicle noise pollution. The acoustic cameras being trialled combine microphones and cameras that allow them to measure noise levels, identify the source of the noise and capture audio and visual evidence, including vehicle registration, that can be then used by the EPA to review whether further action is needed. The EPA then has the powers to require a vehicle owner to submit their vehicle for noise testing at an accredited facility, and for those who fail to comply with these notices for testing or to bring their vehicle in for compliance it can result in a fine of more than $1200.

I particularly want to pay tribute to the hard work of the member for Albert Park Ms Nina Taylor and also the City of Port Phillip for their advocacy in getting the work underway from the EPA to source and trial these cameras. Nina has been an absolute champion supporting local residents in cracking down on hoon driving. I ask the minister to confirm that that trial will indeed proceed.