South Burnett Council takes high tech approach after 191 dog complaints

The owners of dogs that bark all day while they are at work are in the crosshairs of the South Burnett Council, which has brought in a high-tech approach to finding and convicting the worst offenders.

Barking dogs have been the subject of 191 complaints to the South Burnett Council in the past year.

A barrage of complaints about noisy, barking dogs in Kingaroy has prompted the South Burnett Regional Council to bring in noise monitoring technologies to deal with the situation.

The council received 191 dog barking complaints in the past 12 months from residents fed up with their neighbours’ noisy pets.

Rick Round, of Kingaroy, called on dogs to be banned from residential areas.

“As soon as the owner goes out they start barking, they then stop when the owner comes home,” Mr Round said.

“If you mention it, the owner is in complete disbelief, replying that I have never heard my dog barking.”

Multiple people have taken to social media sharing their stories of annoying and constantly barking dogs.

Tash Miller, of Nanango, said she could not believe the lack of consideration from dog owners in the region.

“My neighbours’ dogs bark continuously all throughout the day and night,” Ms Miller said.

“The owners do nothing except encourage the dogs to bark, it’s beyond a joke.”

The noise monitor will be deployed at trouble spots for a minimum of two weeks gathering the facts on the severity of the noise.

A council spokesman said they were working hard to minimise barking noise complaints and had engaged NoiseNet to help capture excess noise data.

“The introduction of NoiseNet’s new Pinpoint Directional Smart Noise Monitor has allowed council to clearly identify the directional source of a noise nuisance,” the spokesman said.

“The device is installed at the complainants or neutral property upon evidence being received that there is a noise nuisance occurring.

“The device will be deployed at this residence for a minimum of two weeks gathering the facts on the severity of the noise complaint.

“Council is satisfied with the results of the data and will continue to use this device in the future,” he said.

Originally published as South Burnett Council takes high tech approach after 191 dog complaints