A total of 872 noise complaints were received by the Queenstown Lakes District Council for the year ending April 2013, down 7% on the previous year.
The type of complaints received varied from people noise to vehicles, but the majority were about recorded music, Lakes Environmental regulatory and corporate manager Lee Webster said.
''There are no distinct suburbs or streets which get the most complaints. However, the majority of complaints are from residential suburbs,'' he said.
The process when noise controllers receive a complaint begins with an officer attending the site to assess the noise level. If there is no noise, or it is considered to be reasonable, no further action is necessary.
If the officer deems the noise to be excessive, he or she may issue a verbal warning or an ''Excessive Noise Direction'' (End) under the Resource Management Act 1991.
An End requires action to be taken to reduce the noise to a reasonable level immediately and prohibits any further excessive noise from the premises for 72 hours.
''Failure to comply with an excessive noise direction can result in equipment being seized with the aid of a constable,'' Mr Webster said.
A $500 infringement notice under the Resource Management Act can be issued for failure to comply with an excessive noise direction.
Over the past year, about 190 Ends were issued. There were four seizures of equipment.
''In consideration of the number of occasions when items are seized in comparison to the number of Excessive Noise Directions issued, it would appear that the penalties serve as a sufficient deterrent,'' Mr Webster said.
