The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) aims to be a good neighbour, taking social and environmental responsibility seriously, including the management of noise. This is reflected in the formal objectives regarding noise from the State highway network contained in the NZTA Environmental Plan. This plan is consistent with the requirements of the Land Transport Management Act and Resource Management Act. The Environmental Plan objectives regarding noise are:

• N1 Reduce exposure to high traffic noise levels from the existing State highway network.
• N2 Determine reasonable noise requirements when seeking new or altering existing designations including when designating existing local roads by using RMA procedures.
• N3 Manage construction and maintenance noise to acceptable levels.
• N4 Influence activities adjacent to state highways to discourage noise-sensitive activities establishing in areas adversely affected, or likely to be in the future, by state highway traffic noise.