Mod 4 - Extend Trial

I support it.

Im supporting the project extension

I support North Byron Parkland's request for an extension of its trial period.

As stated in Austrade's Industry Capability Information Website, "The Australian government recognises that a creative economy contributes to cultural diversity, social inclusion, environmental sustainability and technological advancement. The arts and creative industries are integral to contemporary Australian values, self-expression, confidence and engagement with the world."
I have attended Splendour in the Grass on an annual basis since its inception in 2001 and visited Falls Festival Byron Bay these past two years. These extremely successful events have provided immense support to the creative industries, hosting both International acts and many Australian musicians who have also achieved global success.
For me personally, Splendour in the Grass signifies the coming together of friends and family to engage socially in music, dance and the visual arts. I should think that this sentiment would be shared by thousands of festival goers.
There is also the considerable economic boost that festivals provide to the local communities in terms of employment, accommodation, hospitality and transport.
For all of these reasons, I fully support an application to extend the Parklands' trial period by 20 months and look forward to continuing my attendance to these events well into the future.

I wholly support the use of this site for the purposes of festivals and broader community use. It provides the greater community with a place to hold such events, which is necessary, and also provides much needed employment to the local community.

I Margaret Cox am against the proposed modification request. Parklands should go the full 5 year trial. The outdoor events following the trial period should require approval from the Council under part 4 of the EPand A Act. I think Council is the appropriate controlling body as the possibility of having a large event during the Easter Holidays at Parklands while the Blues Festival is on would be a disaster.
Yours Sincerley Margaret Cox.

Please allow this requested extension. The applicants work very hard to address local concerns. Management of events at the site is continually improving. They have proven that they listen to feedback and take suggestions on board. They have proven that they work collaboratively with local, state and federal stakeholder groups in the management of events. What we have with North Byron Parklands is a world class example of a best practice event site. I think that we get so caught up with what is not perfect (I respect that some elements impact on neighbours and do not intend to trivialise this) that we don't see the bigger picture. We are talking about the Byron shire. Nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. That's why it's great. This organisation gives employment and experience to thousands of creative and event professionals, indirectly and directly. We love it that our region is inhabited by creatives. If we lose North Byron Parklands we lose many from these communities. Are we forgetting why North Byron Parklands was fought for in the first place? The shire and the region desperately needed a venue to host large scale events and Splendour needed a home. Come on, let's keep paying attention to the detail but not take our eye off the bigger picture. Thank you.

I am strongly in support of this application. Having attended events at North Byron Parklands during the current trial period I consider this venue a massive success. It has made the Northern Rivers a destination. I speak to many many attendees at the festivals and they don't just go to the festivals and go home. More often than not they get out and visit other areas and not just Byron Bay. We live in the Rainbow Region - that's why North Byron Parklands works. Put it somewhere else and it wouldn't be the same. People love coming here - they go to Nimbin, they go to Mullumbimby. And when they go home they remember the music but also the incredible towns and villages we have here. North Byron Parklands is now relied upon by the tourism industry throughout the region. The whole industry should be getting behind it.

Please extend the trail period for North Byron Parklands. I can't imagine that there would be another venue that would be as big where Splendour could go. Also, it's important that Splendour stays here in our local area. If Splendour goes to a smaller venue the festival won't be as much fun. It's good because there is so much to do.

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Our organisation "Urban Pasta" would like to express our support to extend the trial period for outdoor events of up to 35,000 patrons by a further 20 months to August 2019 at North Byron Parklands.

This site hosts some of Australia's most popular events and bring thousands of patrons from all over Australia and contributes greatly to the local economy and to other businesses based in other states that operate at the event yearly.

Should the trial not be extended, hundreds if not thousands of jobs would be at risk and potential losses to the local economy of Byron Bay.

I support it

I object to the loud noise late at night.Why does the volume have to be turned up?

I support the extension, so festivals can continue to be held at this location.

This festival is an important part of Australia culture now. It has always been held in Byron Bay and I think it should continue to stay there.

I, Robert John Freestone of 11B Konda Court, Ocean Shores, NSW wish to lodge my strong objection to the proposed modification request.
The existing trial period has 9 months to go and Parklands have had 5 years to come to this point .Thus if this extension is approved they will have had 5 years plus the extension to get things right, assuming they don't request a further extension at the end of the requested 20 month extension.
Numerous breaches of the current consent conditions have occurred including traffic problems,noise issues,and off-site impacts on resident's amenity,including anti-social behaviour and traffic problems.
The traffic situation is intolerable and dangerous. To illustrate,on the last night of the 2017 Falls Festival,during torrential rain I was called upon to collect people from the site.
They could ring me but I could not ring them. Although I knew the site well the lighting was so poor I could hardly see and was directed to the wrong pick up point.
Meanwhile hundreds of festival goers were walking around in the dark, on Tweed Valley Way and the Pacific Highway.
There have been so many breaches of conditions over the past 4 years that an extension would be rewarding poor behaviour on the part of Parklands.
It is time that Parklands became accountable for their actions.
They are incapable of running a safe and amenable (to local residents) operation with crowds presumably capped at 35000.
I would consider that an increase in crowd numbers to 50000 (and who knows in the future) would be way beyond them and would be dangerous.
Yours sincerely
Bob Freestone

I support it

SITG has and Falls festival have been very important in sustaining my business operations in the Northern NSW region. These 2 festivals provide a significant financial boost for my business. Secondly to that I reside in Bogangar which is a mere 15mins from the site . To see the economic benefits for my area and it's local businesses is pleasing to see.

Objection: Parkland site in North Byron Shire extension of 5-year trial period

1) 5 years is ample time for the owners/management to resolve ongoing issues - this extension effectively allows for continuation of unresolved impacts and increased impacts - it is counter-intuitive. Parklands does not need more monitoring time. They have had five years to monitor their operations, and the DOP has had five years to assess their performance. That's ample time for DOP to make a considered assessment. Any extra time implies processes are being circumvented (see point 2)

2) Condition C1 of the current approval states that events after the trial period will require a further approval from local council under Part 4 of the planning act. By going to the state to get the Part 3A approval extended, Parklands is pointedly ignoring that condition. Applications should be dealt with at a local level where ordinary ratepayers and residents are part the process, not via an extension application to PAC that circumvents Local Councils. How these festivals & attendees relate to the wider community is a local issue.

3) NSW Police recently submitted a report on Splendour 2016 to the DOP, raising concerns about on-site safety, emergency evacuation, traffic congestion and more. The report concluded that no further festivals be held there until the issues they raised are addressed. Allowing a lengthy extension in the face of so many problems is unwarranted. Parklands should be working directly with Byron and Tweed Councils, and local command, to reduce the problems and meet the expectations of local residents and road users.

4) Increasing the number of festivals and crowd sizes will lead to a situation where the "Goose that laid the Golden Egg" will be effectively cooked. The local communities are already dealing with a raft of negative unresolved impacts, not the least of which involve illicit drug use and alcohol. Increased numbers of young drivers on the roads in the Northern Rivers, under the influence of both/either, is not a positive outcome for our area. It has reached a stage where locals now dread the influx of party-goers.

5) Location in a "green-belt" high-value ecological area needs to be reviewed. Whilst (largely) drugged-up or drunk (yes - lets not kid ourselves) young people might enjoy "communing with nature"; rest assured that nature does not reciprocate the feeling. These types of festivals need to be held in purpose-built industrial environments AWAY from "nature". The site is immediately adjacent to Billinudgel Nature Reserve and the Jones Road (Marshalls Ridge) Wildlife Corridor, home to koalas and approximately 50 other threatened and endangered species. It's the wrong place for outdoor music festivals attracting tens of thousands of attendees. Current conditions allow for 30,000: permanent approval is sought for for 50,000 paying customers.

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Support extension to continue cultural events and local employment