Summernats 37 burnout. Photo: Summernats.
The ACT Government says it will work closely with the organisers of Summernats ahead of next year’s event after a report found the latest one regularly exceeded noise limits.
The report, prepared by SLR Consulting for government agency Venues Canberra and recently released under freedom of information (FOI) laws, also said it was unlikely Summernats would ever be able to comply with the ACT’s noise limits “at all times”.
“The nature of the activities at the event, together with the location of the sensitive receptors relative to the Summernats events, is such that compliance at all times is unlikely,” the report read.
“Furthermore, motorsport events do not lend themselves to effective noise controls with … mitigation not considered reasonable or feasible.”
In the lead up to the festival, held at Canberra’s Exhibition Park (EPIC) in January, Venues Canberra had investigated measures such as sound walls and acoustic blankets to absorb excess noise at several locations across the park – but nothing was found to work in time.
Meanwhile the owners of Summernats, Out There Group, promised to check the noise levels of non-competition vehicles with extra-loud exhausts to make sure they still complied, and also limit the time for noisy activities by reducing the number of cars competing each hour and scheduling more breaks to clean the burn-out pad.
But they admitted it was inevitable some rules of the event would be broken.
“It is not unusual for some attendees at events – whether it be Summernats or the football – to break the rules of the event. It is human nature,” Out There Group wrote in their proposal.
“That in itself is not a reason to proscribe against an activity.”
The City Cruise kicking off Summernats 36. Photo: James Coleman.
The group went on to say it would do its best to “ensure misbehaviour is appropriately sanctioned”.
The government’s Environment Protection Authority (EPA) set the noise limits for Summernats 37 at 65 to 55 decibels for the loudest competitive events, 60 decibels for the outdoor concerts, 55 decibels for other motorsport activities, and 45 decibels for “all other times”.
However, noise readings recorded levels of 76 decibels on the Friday, including loud vehicles travelling along the Federal Highway and Old Well Station Drive and burnout events.
Noise levels were also above the limits for most of Saturday and Sunday’s events.
As for the Friday night concert, the report said it “mostly complied” except for one occasion when “low-frequency content” pushed it above the decibel limit.
Six-times Summernats champion Peter Fitzpatrick. Photo: James Coleman.
The report did note some of the location’s readings weren’t entirely accurate, and “there were many occasions where Summernats’ noise was not the dominant noise source”. A helicopter flying overhead was picked up in one instance.
EPIC is subject to looser noise limits than more residential areas of ACT due to its nature as an entertainment precinct.
It also operates under a “noise credit system” where it can effectively make up for hosting louder events by hosting quieter events over the course of the calendar year.
“The compliance noise levels that apply to events at EPIC are already well above the noise zone standards that apply in the adjacent residential areas,” an ACT Government spokesperson told Region.
“This is the case for any venue or event authorised (licensed) under the Environment Protection Act 1997.”
In other cases, blowing the ACT’s noise limits come with strict penalties of up to $1600 for an individual and $8100 for a corporation.
“Additional penalties include a maximum of 200 penalty units for failing to comply with an environmental authorisation,” the spokesperson added.
“The application of penalties takes account of the circumstances, including whether environmental harm was caused or likely to be caused, and to the conditions of the environmental authorisation.”
The government confirmed there were no plans for changes to the ACT’s compliant noise levels, and there would be no penalties applied to Summernats based on the report’s findings.
On show at Summernats. Photo: Summernats.
However, Venues Canberra will “continue to explore options to reduce the impact of noise” ahead of the festival’s return from 8 to 11 January, 2026.
“These options include reviewing the event scheduling, event layout and engineering options that may reduce the impact of noise,” the spokesperson said.
“Venues Canberra will continue to work with the EPA to seek environmental authorisation for the Summernats festival.”
Summernats 2025 drew more than 130,000 people over the three days (more than 47,000 from interstate), and contributed $43.6 million to the ACT’s economy.
ACT Policing said they were “generally happy” with attendee behaviour, with only “a small number of arrests”.
Summernats co-owner Andy Lopez was contacted for comment.
