Noise issues are the most reported complaints received on Auckland Council’s artificial intelligence assistant tool, especially during the weekends.
By Torika Tokalau of Local Democracy Reporting
The AI-enabled tool, Ask Auckland Council, was launched in April to help improve how people reported common issues to the council.
The three most common types of noise complaints received since January have been residential – from people and party noise – construction and building alarms.
In the six months to September, more than 5000 reports were received complaining about people or party noise.
The council’s licensing and environmental health special operations manager, Veronica Lee-Thompson, advised people to be mindful of noise and to be considerate of their neighbours, especially with the approach of summer.
"Summer is a popular time for outdoor gatherings, barbecues, parties, DIY projects and property maintenance, but excessive noise can have a significant impact on those living nearby," she said.
"Being a good neighbour can be as simple as letting neighbours know in advance if you're planning a party or noisy work, keeping music and entertainment at a reasonable level, and avoiding the use of loud equipment such as chainsaws and power tools early in the morning or late in the evening."
Lee-Thompson said excessive noise could be reported at any time through Ask Auckland Council, or by calling 09 301 0101 while the noise was occurring.
"Residents can also help reduce noise by keeping doors and windows closed where practical, positioning speakers away from neighbouring properties, and ensuring burglar and car alarms are working correctly.
"And, most importantly: turning the volume down at a reasonable hour."
More than 13,000 problems have been logged on Ask Auckland Council, averaging 489 reports a week and up to 300 interactions a day, according to a six-month progress report tabled at Thursday’s Value for Money Committee meeting.
Illegal dumping, graffiti, roaming dogs, missed bin collections, tree issues and litter were all reportable.
The online tool – accessible on a smartphone, computer or tablet – helped save users around nine minutes compared to calling the contact centre.
Uptake was the highest for graffiti reports, with 46% submitted through Ask Auckland Council.
Customer experience general manager Jon Andrews told the committee they were anticipating an increase of users during the summer period.
Committee chairwoman and deputy mayor Desley Simpson said the progress update was positive, and there was a shift from the call centre to the online tool.
With Ask Auckland Council, people could describe the problem in their own words or with a photo, and the AI identified the type of issue, and helped get the report to the right place.
Simpson asked staff to report back to the committee in November with a road map for the next six months, to give Aucklanders confidence to use the tool over summer – a time where there usually were overflowing bins, summer parties and noise complaints.
– LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
SHARE ME