Victoria last month introduced seven new roadside cameras designed to identify excessively noisy vehicles. The devices, installed in Bayside Council, can detect illegally loud vehicles on public roads, record registration details and help authorities trace owners. Drivers flagged by the system must present their vehicles for inspection or face a $1200 fine for failing to comply.
Victorian Minister for the Environment, Jaclyn Symes, said the cameras would be tested over a two-year period. “Our new hoon cameras are about to hit the streets, targeting hotspots and putting illegally loud drivers on notice,” she said. “These cameras can detect illegally loud vehicles, capture their rego and help the EPA track down their owners.” “If your car is illegally loud, expect to get it tested, expect to get it fixed – and if you don’t, expect a fine.”
The tougher stance comes as complaints about noisy vehicles in Victoria have surged. Government figures show reports almost doubled between 2020-21 and 2025-26, climbing to more than 9100 each year.
NSW has also been testing the technology, completing a trial of noise cameras in Sydney and Wollongong that identified thousands of breaches through high-tech monitoring. During the initial phase, the cameras recorded noisy vehicles but were not used to issue fines.
At the launch of the NSW trial in 2024, the NSW Environmental Protection Authority said it would measure “the resources required to use noise cameras for regulatory purposes in NSW”. Heidi Lee Douglas, deputy mayor for Bayside Council, which hosted the cameras for vehicles near Sydney Airport, said in March that “the EPA is currently assessing several options, including a full cost-benefit analysis”. She added, “This will help the Government decide how noise-camera technology and other tools could be used to reduce unnecessary vehicle noise and improve amenity for affected communities.”
Alongside the camera trial, the NSW EPA increased penalties for noisy vehicles in August. Fines for minor breaches rose from $150 to $300, mid-range offences increased from $300 to $600, and penalties for significant breaches of more than 15 decibels doubled from $600 to $1200.
The increases drew a hostile reaction from some road users on Facebook, with critics calling Australia a “nanny state” that has “lost its way”. One person wrote, “Tell me you’re in 1 trillion dollars debt, without telling me,”
In defending the higher penalties, the NSW EPA said “our review of the Regulation showed us that the current fines were no longer an effective deterrent for noise pollution. This is also the first increase since 2014 and is in line with the rise in the Consumer Price Index”.
