The line graph provides data on the complaints on noise filed to the Newton’s Environmental Health

authorities from 1980 to 1996. Overall, the number of complaints made about four noise sources
increased over the 16-year period except for domestic noise, which actually declined.

In details, Environmental Health authorities in Newtown received over 600 household noise-related
objections in 1980 and that was the highest among the four categories of noise complaints this year.
Complaints about domestic noise kept on steadily declining with a few minor fluctuations till it hit
the trough of just around 100 complaints, the lowest in 1996.

Complaints lodged about traffic and roadwork noises showed a similar trend – both were almost
steady till 1998 and then soared rapidly afterwards. Traffic blare was responsible for about 300
complaints, 200 fewer than that of road works, both of which remained unchanged till 1984 and
then dropped to 200 and 300 respectively between 1986 and 1988. The number of objections about
both types of cacophony surged to the highest point in 1996, with over 1200 complaints about road
works and 600 about traffic noise. In particular, 1200 complaints were the highest number on the
recorded objections made to authorities during the whole period.

Now turning to the complaints people made to authorities regarding noises from factories, it was just
400 in 1980. It then rose to 700 in 1986, and afterwards, it levelled off with minimal oscillation till
1996 when around 650 complaints were lodged.

The line graph compares the number of noise complaints to Environment Health
authorities made by people in Newtown city between 1980 and 1996. Generally
speaking, the highest number of complaints to Environments Health authorities were
related to road works.

In 1980, the traffic noise started from 300 complaints per year and it stabilises until
it plummeted to a low point of 200 in 1986 till 1988, then it made a peak in 1992
and continued to rose steadily until the end of 1996. On the other hand, the number
of complaints about heavy industries started its growth from 400 complaints in 1980
and had steeply increased three years on, since that time it remained reasonably
stable during the next 13 years.

Although road works started at a high point of 600 at the beginning of 1980, from
1980 onwards it declined steadily to a point of 70, respectively. However, it
fluctuated slightly through the time between 1982 and 1996. It can be seen that the
domestic household had a bigger complaints amount at the end of 1996 of point
1200, even though it began at 500 in 1980.