Ride's muffled din falls on deaf ears By Bonnie Malkin Urban Affairs Reporter June 11, 2005, Sydney Morning Herald The operators of Luna Park claim they have reduced the noise of a ride at the centre of a court battle with neighbouring residents. Noise made by the Ranger ride had been halved in the past year, according to the report, by Hyder Consulting and commissioned by the amusement park. It found noise mitigation work on the ride's gears and pumps had cut mechanical noise by nine decibels. It also found Luna Park operated within approved noise limits. "Individual noise levels at each survey location show compliance with the predictions made in the acoustic plan of management, and in some cases the aggregate noise level at locations are below the original predictions," it said. "Long-term noise surveying conducted at the site demonstrates that the northern portion of the park closely parallels noise predictions." Luna Park's managing director, Peter Hearne, said the survey proved that the $200,000 noise-mitigation work done on the Ranger had been a success. AdvertisementAdvertisement "The [report] clearly and conclusively shows we have satisfactorily addressed noise emissions from the Ranger while continuing to operate the park within the specified and approved limits." Mr Hearne used the report to urge those Milsons Point and Lavender Bay residents who have taken the park to court to drop the case. But a spokesman for the Lavender Bay Residents Group, Glen Billington, said the residents would not drop the case until Luna Park properly addressed the noise problem. "The issue we have hasn't changed," he said. "The noise levels are far too high. At 7.55am this morning the Ranger was being tested for an extended period. That has a major impact on people; it wakes people up. "The case will be dropped when the problem doesn't exist. As long as Luna Park is causing an unreasonable impact on the lives of residents, we're going to ask them to address that." Yesterday, the case against Luna Park was expedited in the Supreme Court to July 1.

Probably 7:55am on a monday. They will never get by this as those people don't really want the park next to them.

Am wondering what actual noise of the ranger is it that seems to be the problem? Am thinking it's the constant whining of the hydraulic pump (not the actual drives as the ride moves) since this is what they covered up.

I have no idea why Luna Park's owners spent so much $$$ (so they claim) on covering the Ranger's noisy bits with massive ugly boxes when the ride itself is so old and average. I really don't think the ride is worth this much trouble. I would have closed the thing down long ago and brought something in to replace it

i MUFFLED My EARS wqhhen i HAD A BABY!

To some extent I agree, I really want the ride to travel, it would do great on the circuit, as it used to in the late 80's, early 90's or send it to LPM, and LPS can have the super quiet and silly Pharos Curse