North Byron Parklands - Cultural Events Site

The noise to date has been unacceptable. I am concerned about the noise
levels for myself, for other residents, for the nature of this region,
and for the wildlife and eco systems that contribute to the special
nature of this region The natural beauty and wildlife habitat of this
area are what makes it special. As the original custodians of this
land are powerless here, then we must be the custodians of this, both
for our lifetime, and for our children and grandchildren. I cannot
support the rampant greed and consumerism which allows the devastation
of wildlife habitats and the noise levels which terrify those wildlife
which try to remain. The noise, vibrations and influx of visitors
extends down to South Ocean Shores, Brunswick and beyond. I m also
very concerned about he numbers of visitors flocking into Ocean Shores
and Brunswick Heads during festival times. During the last festival, I
spend 55 mins in bumper to bumper traffic trying to get a car park for
an appointment in Brunswick Heads. As well as road traffic, there were
people milling about - many of them with vacant eyes, or unable to
stand straight, stumbling about in front of traffic. This is a family
holiday venue and as such visitors are welcome, but the overcrowding,
and the total lack of awareness and consideration of many of the
visitors who flock here during festival time is unacceptable. As a
resident and ratepayer, I came here intending to find a place for the
last years of my life. I am now faced with the decision as to whether
I move from this area, my friends, my community and support and the
house and area I love because of the economic greed which is creating
devastation here. thank you for the opportunity to voice my
experience.

FNC Properties Pty Ltd owns the property immediately north of the
festival site and fully supports the proposal

The festivals at Byron Parklands have a very positive economic impact to
our business. Splendour comes at a quiet time of the year for us and
year on year we have seen an excellent boost to our trade during the
festival. This has allowed us to maintain our staff levels through an
otherwise low period.

Good for local business

Parklands is a beautiful home of Splendour in the Grass and Falls
Festival ( North Byron Parklands ) It should become a permanent venue
!!!

I fully support the development application for the following reasons:- o
Positive economic impact on the Byron shire, and Tweed o Opportunities
for local youth employment (local youth unemployment is significantly
worse than the state and state regional averages) o The sustainability
of the site (self-composting toilets, on-site waste management,
recycling, carbon offset program etc) o The hugely improved and now
excellent performance of events to date - noise, traffic, ecology,
environment/sustainability o The site is more than capable of handling
50,000

I am against this the proposal. The festival organisers have been a
detriment to the people of this shire and to the environment that
supports it. Problems with previous festivals, e.g. traffic
management, sewerage, noise, pollution have been glossed over with
petty donations to community groups. The infrastructure of the
Northern Rivers can not cope with 35,000 additional people let alone
50,000 patrons. They are not a great employer, relying largely on
volunteer labour. Thousands of festival goers invade small villages
that are struggling to cope with the increase in tourist numbers.
State Government offers very little in funding for the shire, just
today they cancelled a bus terminal in Byron because of the
construction costs. We are currently dealing with massive pressures
from developers and they are all been dealt with in a case by case
process. There is no overall plan. We do not have the transport,
environmental management, waste management, and sewerage to cope with
this onslaught. Take it elsewhere, somewhere where there is a
transport hub and where thousands of residents lives are not
disrupted. The site is highly flood prone, emergency services are
against it and so are the police of Byron and Tweed Shires. So why
would it be approved?

I'm a local resident who supports the Parklands site. I have lived here
at South Golden Beach for the whole time since the event site opened.
I have never been bothered by noise from the site and have only ever
had positive experiences from people visiting the area going to
events. I hope the site remains open in the future as I see it brings
many positives to our area including jobs.

As a resident living close to North Byron Parklands, it's important to
comment that our family are not negatively impacted or concerned by
the events at Parklands. Our way of life is not disrupted by the
events. I fully support their State Significant Development
Application to become a permanent cultural and events site with
patrons up to 50,000. Splendour and Falls play an important role in
enriching the cultural life of our small community and the wider
Australian community, and the economic impact of the two events cannot
be underestimated in our community. I support the application. In my
capacity as [REDACTED], I am keenly aware of the wide range of
community feeling surrounding Parklands' DA (SSD 8169), and its real
and potential impacts on the community. Over the last four years,
Parklands and event staff have consulted widely, in both private and
public discussions with residents, local business owners,
representatives of community, school, government and business groups,
in order to understand community sentiment. The Social Impact
Assessment contained in the EIS discusses the range of community
feeling in detail. Generally speaking, community concerns raised
throughout the five-year trial and in response to SSD 8169 relate to:
patron numbers, the frequency of events, noise, traffic, anti-social
behavior, ecological impacts, disruption to telecommunications,
emergency egress, and the impact on towns and infrastructure.
Importantly, Parklands' performance over the last five years
illustrates its continued compliance and improvement across these
major areas of community concern including noise, traffic, anti-social
behavior, telecommunications and impacts on local villages. While
independent surveys continue to report no significant negative impacts
on ecological communities. As a direct result of consultation,
community concern over the number of events and capacity initially
proposed was modified. Despite these changes to event days, and
Parklands cautionary and conditional approach to Splendour's capacity
increase, there remains a level of concern among members of the
community. However, it is worth stressing that capacity increases are
conditional on meeting important performances indicators. It's
important to note, that Parklands and its two major events both enjoy
excellent working relationships with thousands of Byron and Tweed
Shire residents, community groups, local schools, artists, arts
organisations, business owners and their respective chambers, tourism
bodies and local councilors who see the development as a positive
thing for the region. Parklands and the events work together with the
community in order to maximize the social, economic and cultural
benefits that the events bring to the region. And the benefits the
events bring are tangible. Since its inception in Byron Bay almost 18
years ago, Splendour alone has directed more than $500,000 in cash
donations to grass roots initiatives. In addition, during the
five-year trial, while Falls and Splendour have been at Parklands,
more than $250,000 has been raised by the festivals through its annual
Community Grants Scheme. Community grants are funded by a $1 levy
placed on every ticket sold and directed back into the local
community. The Community Grants Scheme has provided important funding
to feed Byron's homeless, support at risk teens, build playgrounds for
small children, support music education in local public schools, and
make capital works investment and community celebrations possible
throughout the Byron and Tweed Shires. In addition, more than $262,000
has been raised by community groups by raffling festival tickets, and
in 2017 Splendour itself raised almost $70,000 for northern rivers
flood victims. The funds raised for the community by the events cannot
be underestimated and are also important compensatory measures for the
temporal disruptions that the events cause. In terms of the region's
economy, the two festivals alone are vital, with an estimated economic
output of $28 million for Byron Shire and $47 million a year for the
Northern Rivers. With an unemployment rate significantly worse than
the state and state regional average, these two festivals create
employment equivalent to over 6oo full-time jobs. Regional Australians
are also among the most disadvantaged when it comes to accessing
world-class contemporary arts. The appreciation of cultural products
is key in ensuring regional communities are healthy and thriving. Last
year the Australia Council published the results of the latest
National Arts Participation Survey, and revealed that 67% of young
people identify the arts in "helping us deal with stress, anxiety, and
depression". While in the UK, a parliamentary enquiry made important
conclusions regarding the benefits of access to the arts for health,
noting that Australia is presently at the forefront in this field.
Parklands and the events continue to actively address community
concern and mitigate the potential and real negative impacts of the
events. And while I am conscious not to discredit any discomfort or
disruption that members of the community may experience during events,
on balance, the advantages the development presents to the whole
community in cultural, social and economic terms, outweigh the
temporal disruptions that the events might bring.

I am opposed to the proposed expansion of patron numbers to 50,000
maximum. I believe that the expansion should be rejected on grounds of
: - noise disturbance to the surrounding residential community -
disturbance to the surrounding natural environment - unsustainable
pressures on the surrounding communities, overcrowding of
accommodation, cafes and food outlets and road infrastructure The
proponent has purchased a sensitive site and now wants approval to
carry out events with a much larger impact. I do not believe that our
community should suffer these increased impacts due to poor site
selection by NBP. Regards, V Turner

The north Byron Parklands project brings welcome employment opportunities
and financial boosts to local businesses in the north of BYRON Shire.
It is also helping to regenerate a farming area into a much needed
wildlife corridor. I would like to express my support of their
proposal.

I do not think this site should be permitted to become a permanent
facility. It borders parkland and natural habitat, which is home to
native animals who are already impacted soon by existing events. A
permanent licence for an increased capacity would also negatively
impact on local residents, increase traffic and increase waste issues
(sewage and hard rubbish). I therefore think the request to increase
capacity and permanency of event is not suitable to this site.
Individual event request should be submitted and taken on case value
rather than as an overall permanent request.

The Brunswick Heads Visitor Centre has partnered with the Falls & Arts
Festival for the last 3 years. Falls Festival is held during the
town's busiest time of the year and any impacts of the festival on the
town that are identified by the community are addressed through a
variety of strategies implemented during the "Taking Care of Brunswick
During Falls" Project. Improvements and refinements to the strategies
have been made each year following feedback by the project team and
the community. A summary of the Co-ordinator's Report below indicates
that the project was very successful. The detailed Report with
statistics, feedback from businesses and community groups and
recommendations for next year will be available shortly. "Taking Care
of Bruns" During Falls Festival Project Report Summary 2017/2018 The
Brunswick Heads Visitor Centre partnered again with The Falls Music &
Arts Festival in 2017/2018 for the "Taking Care of Brunswick during
Falls" Project, to enable us to mitigate some of the possible negative
effects of the festival on the amenity of our town. The project was
managed by the VC with partnership funding provided by Falls Fest.
Kevin Fitzgerald was Co-ordinator and Cherie Heale was assistant
Co-ordinator. Kevin and Cherie sought feedback from the Progress
Association, local residents and business owners before the Festival
to find out if there were any additional issues that needed to be
addressed. Arrangements were made with Byron Shire Council to provide
extra rubbish bins, extra rubbish pick ups, extra toilet cleans and
after hours contact details. Information pamphlets were produced by
the VC and distributed to patrons on the bus. During the Falls
Festival from Saturday 30 December 2017 to Tuesday 2 January 2018
Kevin, Cherie and a team of 11 volunteers welcomed and dispersed
festival patrons who arrived by bus, surveyed people about their
experience in town and kept an eye out for anything that may have
potentially disturbed the harmony of the town. Volunteers also
patrolled all illegal camping spots as well as collecting rubbish from
around the business district, along Tweed Street from the IGA to
Caltex, all the parks and along South Bank Road. Since last year the
Byron Shire Council (BSC) installed an additional eleven permanent
rubbish bins. Out of funding provided by the Falls Festival we
arranged with BSC 3 additional general and 5 additional recycling bins
plus 2 empties per day. As a result, in Kevin's opinion the town was
cleaner than normal. We engaged a cleaner to clean the toilets 3 hours
per day as well as liaised with the BSC cleaning contractor resulting
in quick clearing of toilet blockages and regular cleaning of the
toilets thorough out the days of the festival. There were no long
queues at the toilets. From Saturday 30 December 2017 to Tuesday 2
January 2018, 3,886 festival patrons arrived and 3,994 festival
patrons departed Brunswick Heads in 193 buses. In 2016/2017 from
Saturday 31 December 2016 to Monday 2 January 2017, 4,950 festival
patrons arrived and 4,263 festival patrons departed Brunswick Heads in
139 buses. i.e. fewer people and more buses than last year. Patrons
were well behaved arriving and departing. On arrival they quickly
cleared the bus zone and surrounding areas. Many headed to the bakery,
others down the laneway and others down Fingal Street or Mullumbimbi
Street or headed to the health food store, IGA or BSW. Departing
patrons waited on Park Street in the area corded off by water
barriers. Only once did we have more than one bus load of patrons
waiting to leave. There was no queuing on the footpaths outside the
shops Oh My Goddess or Vintage Interior Pieces. The Nippers breakfast
received little support from patrons and was not as successful as last
year. The volunteers surveyed 31 visitors and locals to record
responses from people about how they were finding the town during the
Falls Festival. Average ratings for Cleanliness (7.6), Attractiveness
(7.8), Tidiness (8), Friendliness (8.2) and Family Appropriateness
(8.5).

I am writing in support of the application I am a long term Byron Shire
resident of over twenty eight years and have seen the Byron shire grow
from an empty coastal town thriving center of Arts and Culture with
National significance. Background and Context I have worked
extensively with community groups in the shire * been the president of
Community Radio Station Bay FM for 8 years, with 14 years total
involvement * served on the Surfrider Foundation Committee *
coordinated ocean care day clean up campaigns My previous work
includes work on the major cultural festivals, events and
organisations in the country including * the Adelaide Festival of Arts
* the Adelaide Festival Centre * The Queensland Arts Council * The
Queensland performing arts center * The list is extensive I Have *
worked for the Blues Festival for twenty six years as production, site
and stage manager * worked for Splendour in the grass for ten years as
production manager of the Global Village * worked for the Byron Music
and arts Festival * Been involved with the development of the arts and
culture in this region for nearly 30 years. * My business has supplied
equipment to both festivals and as a result I have been able to create
employment for myself and many locals through my business * I was the
site manager for the tree planting on the Parklands site which has
seen the planting of what is now a considerable reforestation and from
my knowledge is the most extensive restoration and new planting in
that area. I feel is the most positive contribution to the wildlife
corridor that has ever been made. * Because I have a business that has
financial benefits as an outcome of the continuation events at the
site does not bias my support. * I have viewed the festivals from both
a community and environmental perspective * I have seen the operations
on the ground and the onsite implications * Although I am involved and
have a financial benefit based on the continuation of events at the
site I feel that I am also impartial, objective and ethical in the
approach of my business. * I have a personal insight to the operation
of the events and with the North Byron Parklands site I can see the
real dedication and commitment at the grass roots level to getting it
right. * As the venue production manager I can see the commitment to
audio and environmental management impacts of the area * Any business
based in the entertainment industry based in this region was extremely
limited or non-existent * my business started as a very small
operation and with the support of the Festivals and the events at the
Parklands I have been able to grow my business and provide employment
* I have seen the town grow with very few employment opportunities
into a situation where many local people and businesses have been able
to survive and grow. * Employment is not to be under valued in this
region of high unemployment * We have grown a strong business which
creates ongoing employment for up to 20 people and the Festival events
are a significant part of that growth Conclusion Through my knowledge
and experience with the site and the proponents I feel that * A
permanent site will provide long term employment and business
opportunities locally and out of the area * Multi billion dollar mines
that cause environmental destruction or touted as beneficial because
they create a few hundred jobs, this site has the ability to create so
much more benefit to so many people without environmental destruction
and enhance the environment in the process. * the site owners will
continue to do their best to support the community * Continue to
enhance the environment * Address noise abatement issues * I feel that
through the permanent and long term use of the site there will be o
significant employment opportunities created for the region o
development of other cultural events on a smaller scale o able to
develop more opportunities and programs to minimize the environmental
impacts of large scale events o develop opportunities for alternative
energy use * I look forward to building a long term sustainable
situation for our community through the approval of the application
Sean Latham

I live within 2 km from the site and I object to the impact that 50,000 +
people will have on our communties ... regarding traffic, noise,
safety , diminished amenity of our small communities, increase of drug
and alcohol intoxicated people in our communities and our roads,
impacts on our environment , our fauna and population. Lining the
pockets of international companies over the wishes of the local rural
people and economy is just wrong.

I object, I object,I object! As a rate paying resident, living right down
the road from this site, I should not need any other reasons.

We wish to object to application MP09_0028 MOD 5 - Amendment to
administrative conditions (Concept Plan Modification). Our concern is
the increase in the traffic movements on Tweed Valley Way which will
impact our life. Currently we have two events per year at 32,500 and
25,000 which already impacts the weekends when the concerts are on.
With the new plan we could as many as five months a year affecting the
traffic on Tweed Valley Way and the Coast Road. The road is not
designed for the amount of traffic that is predicted to be coming to
our events. Even though coming and going of campers Is not encouraged
as stated it would only mean that more buses would be required. Buses
constantly come up and down the road dropping of patrons which affects
the traffic on Tweed Valley Road. The addition of a roundabout would
not ease the traffic flow as a lot of young people do not understand
how to use a roundabout. With the Conference centre it is noted that
150 guests conference guests would be accommodated. No mention is made
as to what accommodation facilities would be available. Our other
concern is if a medical emergency occurred say an outbreak of diarrhea
affecting only a small number of people say 100 (which is very small)
if you have 50,000 people at an event. Our local area does not have
the resources to attend to these people Ambulances would be utilized
instead of local people and taken to an overstretched Tweed Heads
Hospital or Byron Hospital. The trial has still caused problems with
illegal camping and pollution. With an increase in the number of
concerts there will be a much higher chance of a severe weather event
occurring while a concert is happening . We believe that there are in
adequate safety measures in place to evacuate 50,000 people and have
not been convinced that they have the ability to evacuate patrons if
an event occurred.

As a long term resident over 25 yrs i disagree with the proposed
permanent residency of the parklands festival site.. Residents should
have more recognition than the festival goers or people and companies
that make financial gains from this venture. Parklands has distributed
1000s of pamphlets to non residents that give easy pro submissions for
the festival site permanently. The influxof so many people to our
community is seriously detrimental to our beaches, parks,roads,car
parking and especially the government funded wild life corridor ! Not
to mention the revellers partying to all hours in our residential
areas. Parklands has already breached many compliances and appears not
to care , my noise complaint fell on deaf ears . But they reckon their
hired consultants monitor their activities. Ha. Parklands are trying
to avoid local government going through state government. This should
be under council control with input by residents. Parklands major
shareholder is an American company and should not be able to destroy a
quiet coastal community. Why are they wanting to increase their patron
numbers by so much . Appears to be greed to me and many others. Why
would they not share the existing blues festival site . Again it
appear to be greed. As for community donations , our local Billinudgel
hotel gives more to charity without creating any inconvenience to the
community. It seems to me another story of the rich getting richer
without any regard of their impact . Yours sincerely Mark Lofley

Overall, Hotel Brunswick has been very impressed with the organisation
that has been demonstrated by Falls Festival and Splendour In The
Grass over their tenure at North Byron Parklands. Firstly, I would
like to note that the two festivals have very differing affects on the
trade that takes place at our business operation through the duration
of each festival. The Hotel experiences its quietest weekend of the
year over the Splendour Festival, while Falls Festival provides some
of the busiest trade we experience throughout the year. The Hotel has
found that festival goes, as a whole, are an incredibly respectful,
friendly and easy going crowd. In addition, we have been incredibly
impressed with the organisers commitment to investing in the township
of Brunswick Heads throughout the duration of each festival. This is
demonstrated by providing budgets that see teams of local people
collecting rubbish, offering assistance and directions to visitors to
the town and keeping amenities clean and usable.

I wish to strongly object the above proposal. for the following reasons.
1. Byron Shire residents should be making the decisions about
development proposals concerning the lands and waters of t Byron Shire
as was the case in the past. The community of like-minded people
concerned with ecologically sustainability is responsible for the
conservation of the outstanding natural beauty and amenity which
brings so many visitors here. These qualities are at risk with the
over- abundance of tourists already arriving without adding thousands
more by extended use of existing venue., Issues such as sewerage
overload threatening human hygiene with Festival flu, traffic
congestion, fire risk from fireworks, noise disturbance of the
surrounding area affecting both wildlife and the community have not
been addressed Furthermore Byron Shire Council receives only minimal
financial benefit from such an event. This must be viewed as
exploitation of residents' voluntary work and the work of Byron Shire
Council. Billinudgel Nature Reserve and Marshalls Ridge Wildlife
Corridor are North Byron Shires most state significant assets. With
species extinction in Australia reaching the globally highest rate,
self monitoring and self -reporting by consultants paid by the
proponent are clearly inadequate. Monitoring and reporting of the
findings MUST be independent. Finally, I can see no adevantage to
anyone but the propnent and perhaps their festival go-ers. The
proposal must be thrown out, withdrawn and trashed.