Hush-hush over rowing noise complaint

Rowers training on the Waikato River have been asked to keep the noise down following a complaint to the Hamilton City Council.

The early morning use of megaphones by coaches appears to have been too much for at least one unnamed riverside resident. Hamilton Rowing Club president Blair Currie said he knew of the complaint and members had been warned to keep noise to a minimum.

He said megaphones were used only when there were multiple crews on the river, which was not often, and most of the small boat squads had been based in Ngaruawahia this season. Complaints were made most summers despite rowing being on the river for decades.

Waikato Rowing Club president Alec Auld said yesterday was the first he had heard of the issue. "Personally I'm not too fazed about it, although I don't know if it's an isolated incident or whether it's been going on for some time." He said there wasn't much option but for coaches to use a megaphone but they tried to keep the noise down.

- © Fairfax NZ News