Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2021 - Tonight ` (LEAF BLOWER WHIRRS) how loud is too loud? The residents fighting to be heard. - It's like water torture. It's terrible. - It sounds like a Cessna is hovering over our house. - I can't escape from it. - And why the sun's not shining for this solar customer. - My patience has been run thin now. - Plus, are all cans created equal? - Two thirds peaches, one third juice. - Maybe half? - If you open a tin, you expect it to be full of peaches. - Tena koutou katoa, welcome to the show. - What do drums, a noisy basketball and a 5-year-old's birthday party have in common? Well, get this ` they have all been subject of noise complaints. - That's right. Noise complaints are on the up and up around the country and one community really feels they're not being heard. Here's Gill. - Never mind the weather, how's the noise been where you are? Well, here's some of the more unusual complaints. In the north, it was rescue choppers ` so many complaints to council they're thinking of moving the base. And in Taupo ` possums! Not only running, but breaking sticks. To Gisborne now, and neighbours were riled by backyard basketball before school. And down to Porirua, where the city council's been asked to get the police to turn down their sirens. I mean, they are noisy. And a southerly change in Waimakariri District ` complaints about a booming stereo, OK, but from a passing truck? And Dunedin ` student parties of course, but also a deafening duck. But head to the Chathams, and what they lack in sunshine, they make up for with... peace and quiet. (CRICKETS CHIRP) Ka pai, Chathams. Not a single complaint to council. (DOGS BARK) (FAST-PACED ROCK MUSIC) It's a situation most of us can only dream of. Urban life can be loud. (ROCK MUSIC CONTINUES) Take backyard basketball ` the noise might be annoying, excessive even, but complaining to council? One hoop shooter's dad was in disbelief. - Noise complaints involved with a basketball bounced in a driveway is just ludicrous. - Most councils don't consider it unreasonable if it's during waking hours. - These people live in a small community of suburbia where there are children up and down the street everywhere, and children make noise. I love that noise. - But while any noise can annoy a person, what about ones that affect a whole neighbourhood, every day, for months? - The impact on me is that this constant, incessant, inescapable noise keeps me awake at night. - The effect on health shouldn't be underestimated. - Our cardiovascular health is impacted by exposure to long-term noise, where our hearts can't beat in a relaxed way. There are these other impacts as well on our immune system, on our mental health. - Want to hear what that's like on a daily basis? - Lack of sleep, I mean,... It just... It makes you... Can be pretty emotional sometimes. - It's really disorientating and, yeah, just made me feel nauseous and really unwell. - It's like water torture. It's terrible. - These residents in Upper Hutt are running on empty. - I've tried sleeping with ear plugs, I've tried active noise reduction headphones, I've tried noise generators, I tried an app that makes the sound of rain on the roof. I can't escape from it. - They say the problem started when the Farrah's Wraps factory ramped up its night operations, leading to a sound like a low invasive hum like this,... (LOW HUMMING) ...for over 18 long, annoying months. - It's like the bass of a boy racer's car that's parked outside your bedroom window all night. - It sounds like a Cessna is hovering over our house or like a big transformer, electrical transformer right outside our bedroom. - Life before Farrah's was good, peaceful even. Back then, the site was used by Foodstuffs. The number of people complaining was zero. But now, it's dozens that are bending the ear of Upper Hutt City Council. Among them, Jane and Logan. - We're walking zombies and we can barely function. I don't know how we've managed to hold down jobs. - I often have to take medication so I can sleep, which is something I don't want to do as a parent. - They see their daughter suffer too. Take the night before we spoke - We decided to move her at about 10pm. We moved her to another room; she still struggled to sleep. - Jane, who's trained as a lawyer, says they've tried everything. - Contacted local MPS, government, the Ombudsman... We've met with the council, but we've been unsuccessful. - And they say Farrah's has refused to engage, which our noise expert says makes things worse. - If you feel suspicious or annoyed with the people who are making the noise, you're much more likely to feel upset. Some kind of communication and dialogue between the groups can really, really help. - The council has measured the noise, including here in Jane's house. It's too loud, breaching acceptable levels. The council then issued an abatement notice, but only for Farrah's to measure the noise levels. - I might give them a one out of 10, because they've actually done enough measurements to prove that Farrah's are breaching, and Farrah's admit that they are breaking the law. - And the reasons residents say they've been told more couldn't be done to reduce the noise? - One was that they're an essential food supplier, so therefore they needed to let them carry on. Another one was that a mystery part was going to arrive in two or three weeks. Oh, people will lose their jobs. - Upper Hutt City Council told Fair Go it's not taken a more heavy-handed approach because ` Adding it took 'an evidence based approach' to avoid a potential legal battle and that ` Just to be clear ` residents don't want to get rid of Farrah's, people love their wraps, it's just the noise. - Absolutely, yeah. We want them to be a successful business, and we've suggested lots of ways that they could do that, including changing their working hours. - And because they've refused to engage with us, we can't even understand where they're coming from. There's commercial off-the-shelf products available to sort this problem out ` there have been all the way along. - It gets worse, though. Not only has Farrah's failed to solve the noise of the first silo, it wants a second one. - I don't know what you're supposed to do in this day and age to get someone to act. I thought the council was supposed to represent ratepayers. - But despite the residents' efforts, the council supported expansion at a recent resource consent hearing. It's on the understanding Farrah's solves the problem by April next year and partially reduces the noise before Christmas. But it still means noisy nights for another six months, because Farrah's says night operations are essential to keep the business afloat. - It's appalling that it's dragged on 18 months. - It's like we're fighting the war and it's not our job to do that. - Yeah, it's not good enough. - Fair Go would say Farrah's response to us wasn't either. The company failed to answer any of our direct questions, but it did say sorry. It pointed out the factory was on industrial-zoned land, and that it had reduced or eliminated some sources of noise, and had applied to continue with only low level noise exceedance until equipment arrived to fix the problem next year. But the residents argue it's all about profit, and the price shouldn't be their health. - We just want to be able to sleep in our own home. We could do it for the eight years before Farrah's moved in. We're not people who like to complain, we just wanna have our life back. - That is tough, isn't it? That is a very tough situation to be living in. In its submissions for resource consent, Farrah's says it'll look at setting up a community liaison. - Now, a decision from the hearing is due by the beginning of December, which is like two weeks away. And the residents are hoping that will really force some change. - Yes, and we'll put up some tips about how you can deal with a noise issue on our Facebook page. - Righty-o. E Haere ake nei ` coming up ` the solar power customer left in the dark. - Promises, apologies. - Plus, what's the ratio of peaches to liquid? The juicy story coming out of a can. - I know which one I will be buying at the supermarket. - Kia ora, nau mai, hoki mai. Welcome back. - Solar power - it's supposed to take the heat off the environment and your bills. Amazing thing, really. - Yes, and it does, but only if you get all the parts you paid for. And this next company is taking the shine off solar panels. Kaitlin explains. - Life in lockdown has its perks. The plants have been growing, but then again, so have the bills. - Most times its the TV, and using the equipment like computers, and the light is on, of course. - It takes power to work from home for three months here in Tamaki Makaurau Auckland. Though Chand is getting help paying for it ` just look up. - I was thinking for future when we bought solar, because its free sun and you can harness through the panels. - He spent nearly $13,000 on the system, and it would be worth every cent if he had all the parts he paid for. - The downside is the battery. - And he's not the only one being kept waiting by the same solar business. So how much are you still owed by this company? - My patience has been run thin now. - Chand signed up with Supercharged Energy last year. He got them to install these panels for 10 grand, and paid another three for an important extra - a battery. - We could store all this extra power that we're generating. Like today, it's good sun. - And he was getting good vibes from Supercharged Energy's director, Richard Homewood. - He was very sweet talker and good sales pitch and good salesman, so that's how I signed up. And that was the last of him I saw. - Our news cameras have seen Richard before, as one of the directors of the 'Far North Solar Farm', an ambitious solar project that kicked off this year with a helping hand from the prime minister. But no celebrations for Chand. He's now been waiting more than a year for Supercharged Energy to supply a battery. - Promises, apologies, even apologies profusely, that 'we're sorry about this'. - At first, Chand was told the batteries would be in the country 'shortly'. But Covid-related shipping delays pushed that out to Christmas, and fair enough. At least Chand would get a late present in January. Make that February, the installers were out of town. Finally, a booking for May! No, June. Actually, the electrician's sick, so July? - You sort of get sucked into it, 'OK, it's gonna happen tomorrow, tomorrow, 'or next day or next month or next week.' - So Chand called it quits and asked for a refund. He never heard back from Richard or any other company staff. - I've sort of lost trust now, whether to trust this man again. And... he's not responding. He's not saying 'OK, Chand, sorry about it, I'm here, we're gonna take care of this.' - Chand's not the only one. Several people have contacted Fair Go about Supercharged Energy complaining of waiting months for a battery or solar panel installation; or wanting a refund. And they weren't all customers ` we've also heard from a contractor. - Lei Chen works for a scaffolding company, hired for a couple of solar installs back in January. After a month, Supercharged Energy still hadn't paid for the work, owing nearly $4000. So Lei tried a different tactic ` giving the company a one-star review on Google. - Eventually Lei agreed and got a thousand dollars for it, with Richard saying he'd pay the rest over a couple of weeks. He didn't, so up went the review again. For nearly six months, Lei kept at it. - Finally, he heard back. - Turns out it wasn't Lei's day. But maybe we'd have more luck. We had hoped to speak with Richard in person in the light of day, but in the end, we were given a statement. Supercharged Energy said its worked successfully with thousands of customers over the past five years. The company says it has a commercial dispute with Lei Chen which it's hoping to resolve. As for the customers we've heard from, Supercharged Energy has apologised and has now installed batteries or issued them full refunds. And that includes Chand. - The shine might have worn off, but he's still sold on his solar. - Great we got there in the end. Look, I've got a very small update for you too, and that is that Richard did turn up at Chand's place with a box of Ferrero Rocher chocolates. - Wow, big effort. All right, here's some news you can use ` we've been doing a lot of online shopping in lockdown, I love it, but what do you do if your goodies from overseas never arrive? (LAID-BACK HIP-HOP MUSIC) - When it comes to shopping, international borders no longer apply. But what happens if you buy something from overseas and it doesn't turn up? - Usually I've done my research on the reviews and all of that, but if it didn't turn up, I would sort of approach the company again, give them a chance, and if it still didn't turn up, I would go back and let the bank know, query it, get my money back. Get them to cancel the transaction. - The post are blaming the retailer, then I go to the retailer, but then if the retailer blames the post, then sometimes it's a bit of a back and forth. - I'd contact the company and the postal service. - Your first port of call should be to go back to the retailer. They might be able to clear up any issues or send a replacement item. Bear in mind shipping and delivery times are all over the place at the moment, so an item might take longer to arrive than you expect. If you're buying off a business you haven't dealt with before, do a few simple checks beforehand to make sure they're reliable, something as simple as Googling reviews. It pays to check the shipping and delivery details and the terms and conditions before you push buy. If all else fails and you paid with a credit card, contact your bank and ask for a chargeback. That's where the credit card company will reverse the payment. Happy shopping, folks. E haere ake nei ` coming up ` one man's surprising findings about how many peaches are in a can. - I opened a tin of peaches. There were a few peach slices in the bottom. - Kia ora, nau mai, hoki mai, welcome back. I have a simple question for you and for you ` can of peaches, how much liquid, how much peach? What do you reckon? - I'd pick 85% peach and 15% liquid. - Hm. The answer might surprise you, cos it certainly surprised us. - It starts with fruit ` not this kind, but the stuff Ian Calhaem has every morning. - I opened a tin of peaches. There were a few peach slices in the bottom. - Ian was puzzled. - If you open a tin, you expect it to be full of peaches, not full of juice. - Most people might move on from this, but not Ian. - I'm a forensic scientist. I do scene of crime for the police. I live by scientific principles. Don't trust anything, and try to measure everything i can. - So Ian thought ` - How much is fruit and how much is liquid? - So he got opening, straining,... - And now we can tip the fruit in. - ...and measuring. - 259... - We'll be back with his startling conclusions soon. - I know which one I will be buying at the supermarket. - Meanwhile, beside a windswept beach in New Plymouth, we asked the same question ` so what percentage do you think is fruit and what percentage do you think is juice? - I reckon there should be 70/30. - Uh-huh. - Maybe 20% juice. - Uh... - No, I expected that to be full. - Yeah. Interesting. - Two thirds peaches, one third juice. - Maybe half. - Only one of these people is right. - It sort of felt like there was more in there. - Not surprisingly, Ian has the answer. - Right down the bottom on this tin, it lists the ingredients, tells us that there's peaches ` 59%. Number six. - Alarmingly, a can of peaches is only a little over half full of peaches. - I've probably learned from it that don't necessarily buy the cheapest. - And each brand Ian looked at was different. Wattie's ` - There should be 59% fruit. - Essentials ` - Is 56%. - And Oak ` the label says 64% fruit. Ian calculated it at 78%. - By far the most. - And at $1.69 a can, isn't the cheapest or the most expensive. - 320 grams in the best one, compared to 220 grams in the worst one. - But still, the most isn't really much. - The tins actually aren't very full of peaches. - Countdown, who also produces the Essentials brands, say it's all about the size of the peach. -The varying amount of fruit and liquid in a can is due to a few things, including the type of fruit, the size of the fruit and how the fruit is cut. - While Wattie's says it's the cooking. - The fruit to liquid volume ratio which Wattie's uses is optimal for preservation and cooking in the can. - Wattie's says the liquid is needed to cook the fruit, just like when you boil something at home. - The fruit should be minimally heat processed to retain desirable characteristics like the integrity of the fruit, colour, flavour and texture. - Meanwhile, Ian has made one more discovery. - It's definitely full to the brim. - A can of apples is all apple. - The amount of fruit in the tin for the apple ingredients is 99%. - So... - Well, why is this 99% and these are only 65%? - Here's Countdown with their answer. - Apples are an exception. The flesh characteristics of apples enable the pieces to be packed tightly together without the addition of as much juice. -So what to do with all that spare juice? - Everything's gonna be vegan. - Well, if it's chickpeas or beans, Mrs Manning's food technology class at Sacred Heart College may have the answer. - It's called aquafaba. - Mrs Manning's big on using everything. - I hate waste. - So today they're turning unattractive bean juice... - It looks odd. Smells odd. - It just smells like vomit. - ...into dessert treats. - We're going to make little mini meringues. - First, the juice needs 10 minutes of beating. - So it becomes fluffy. - So that's the soft peaks that you want. - And you have what looks suspiciously like stiff egg whites. - Smelling a bit better than before. - Then add flavour. - A little bit of vanilla. - Check the taste. - Yeah. - I like that. - Mrs Manning has a firm policy ` - No double dipping. - Bake it, and you have meringues. - They were actually kind of easy to make in the end. - Made of chickpea juice with a refreshing odour. - It smells a lot better than it did. - Better yet, it tastes... - It's actually tastes good. - Oh, that's really good. - A little bit of treasure can be found in a very unlikely source. - So your canned goods may only be half full,... - There probably should be a bit more, I reckon. - ...but don't despair,... - Aquafaba, who would ever have thought? - ...you can make something tasty out of something else that's not. - It's magic! - So back to the quiz ` 56% peaches, 44% juice. - (CHUCKLES) All right, all right. - You were wrong. - That's it from us. - Gives me great joy. - But if you only caught part of the show, you can catch all of it, plus past episodes, some handy consumer information on the Fair Go page on TVNZ On Demand whenever you want, because we're always here to help. - We're all over the place! We're on Facebook and Instagram, in fact, check out on Instagram this weird gem from Garth. (BRIGHT MUSIC) - OK, it is looking a little crowded in here. I'm no Marie Kondo, so here's a little spring cleaning tip. Take that hanger and spin it the other way around. And if you haven't touched that shirt in a couple of months' time, you know it's probably time to let it go. - Well, that is very cool. You can also head to our webpage, tvnz.co.nz, email us ` fairgo@tvnz.co.nz, or write to us ` PO BOX 3819, Auckland 1140. - Thank you for watching. Until next week ` I think I was right and you're wrong ` po marie.