Debate heats up aboutSplendour's proposed new site

Fri 3rd Feb, 2012 in Local News

Last month we reported that Splendour In The Grass was one step closer to returning to its spiritual home in Byron Bay when the New South Wales Department of Planning released a report recommending approval for three major events a year at the Yelgun site purchased by the festival’s owners back in 2006.

The report recommended crowds of 30,000, 25,000 and 15,000 for the three events over a maximum of 10 days in the first year and “approval be given down the track for events for up to 50,000 people if all key performance indicators are met.”

Now, the final stage is under-way with the NSW Public Assessment Commission holding its public hearing about the matter over the last two days at the Byron Bay Community Centre.

According to Byron’s local paper The Echo, emotions have been running high at the meetings, where 131 speakers have presented their cases for and against the development – including Bluesfest’s Peter Noble.

Noble spoke in favour of the proposal, however he also claimed that it is unfair that the North Byron Parklands had approval to operate 365 days a year when his Tyagarah site was limited to the five days of Bluesfest. The ABC reports that Noble has said he would be happy to host Splendour rather than have it set up a larger event at Yelgun: “”We can easily take up to 30,000 people, we have put in the parking and we have the camping areas already in existence.”

Concerns were also raised at the meeting about potential flooding at the new Yelgun site, with attendees being shown pictures of the site allegedly submerged after recent heavy rainfalls.

However, developers of the site claim that the photos shown at the meeting were “not of the North Byron Parklands site at all and they were not taken “last week”. We are fairly certain that they were taken during the 2005 floods.” They also report that “The northern part of the camping site did have probably 80 to 100mm on it. It lasted for about 12 hours then dissipated. We also knew about 48 hours beforehand that a flooding, a potential flooding event of this nature was on the cards.”

Today’s meeting, according to The Echo, was marred by a mass walk out from locals who oppose the site, and disagreed with a number of the speakers including Oceans Shores Community Association president Jan Mangleson, a former Byron Shire councillor, who sees the development as holding great economic and employment opportunities for the region.

A final decision regarding the site will be made by the Public Assessment Commission at the conclusion of the public hearing.