Byron Bay News

State Review requested into Not-So-Splendid Byron Music Festival

Published

2 years ago

14 September 2022

JeffG

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State Review requested into Not-So-Splendid Byron Music Festival

MARGARET DEKKER

Following serious concerns raised by Councillor Cate Coorey about “the many negative impacts created” by this year’s Splendour in the Grass music festival, Byron Shire Council will write to the state planning minister, Anthony John Roberts MP, requesting he instigate an independent review into the event, held in late July at North Byron Parklands, after torrential rain mired it in controversy.

Cr Coorey’s notice of motion to Councillors raised damning concerns about the 3-day festival, including: ‘overflowing toilets resulting in widespread urinating and defecating on the ground ..’ ‘Traffic queues .. for several kilometres onto the M1 ..’ ‘serious injuries such as broken bones, sprains and staph infections occasioned by the muddy conditions ..’ and ‘inadequate crowd management.’

Byron Shire Council wants the NSW Department of Planning and Environment review to assess the ecological impacts, health and safety, social impacts, public amenity, business impacts and any other impacts on the Shire from the disastrous festival.

Council also seeks to be recognised as “the key stakeholder for the community and should contribute to the formulation of the terms of any review.”

Further, it wants assurances from DPE that the conditions of consent for onsite sewage management are being complied with, including compliance with local controls.

It also wants a new planning agreement about the future conduct of the event.

It follows a similar move by Tweed Shire Council last month to create a regulatory working group to liaise with the State government about what Mayor Chris Cherry described at the time as the festival’s “wide-scale traffic failures” with “a lot of very dangerous situations out there with young kids having to sleep on the highway.”

At last Thursday’s planning meeting of Byron Shire Council, Cr Cate Coorey also raised concerns about the process for final approval of “the site owners to hold increasingly larger, and more frequent, events at the site.”

The July festival saw approximately 50,000 patrons attend the event, an increase from 35,000 at the last ‘Splendour’ festival held pre-Covid in 2019.

“These concerns remained unheeded and many of them have now been realised at this latest SITG event,” Cr Coorey stated.

Cr Coorey also questioned North Byron Parklands’ self-monitoring of compliance;

“And that Council proposes that any consideration of ongoing events must include an independent monitoring process, with the involvement of Council,” she stated.

Cr Cate Coorey noted eye-witness accounts of myriad calamities at this year’s Splendour in the Grass festival “ .. as widely recorded by medical staff in local hospitals and clinics, and patrons and witnesses at SITG” including:

serious injuries such as broken bones, sprains and staph infections occasioned by the muddy conditions
the ‘super-spreader’ effect of COVID and other viral infections that emerged during and after the event
inadequate crowd management in the stage/tent areas resulting in falls, injuries and patrons fainting
inadequate provision of first aid or medical support and use of untrained security staff in lieu of first aid personnel
lack of readily available drinking water despite the widespread provision of alcohol sales
excessive toilet queues and overflowing toilets resulting in widespread urinating and defecating on the ground with the potential for the spread of illness;

“ .. Combined with the high-water flow across the flooded site, urination and defecation outside of the toilet areas, these factors create the potential for serious contamination of the SEPP (Coastal Management 2018) wetland and resultant deleterious effects on the local ecology,” Cr Coorey’s NOM stated.

The findings of the state, independent review would be used ‘as a basis for the manner in which further events may occur on the site.’

Byron Shire Council will seek community feedback “to inform any review of the event and to assist in future recommendations,” Cr Cooney said.

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Byron Bay News

Electronic Flood Warning Signs and Cameras Installed in Byron Shire

Published

1 week ago

17 July 2024

Liam

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Electronic Flood Warning Signs and Cameras Installed in Byron Shire

Three sets of automated flood warning signs and cameras have been installed on Main Arm Road, Left Bank Road, and Myocum Road in Byron Shire. These signs, equipped with solar-powered flashing lights, activate when water levels reach a trigger point, providing a crucial warning to drivers about dangerous road conditions.

Katie Hughes, Acting Infrastructure Planning Coordinator, emphasised the importance of these new installations, funded by a $300,000 grant from the NSW Government and the Commonwealth’s Disaster Risk Reduction Fund. “Main Arm Road, Left Bank Road, and Myocum Road are busy rural roads, and during significant wet weather events, drivers are regularly caught out by attempting to drive through flood water in these areas,” Ms. Hughes said.

“The SES has responded to countless calls to help drivers whose vehicles are stuck in the water, and sadly, some lives have been lost over the years,” she added. “The new lights will automatically come on when water reaches a certain level, indicating the road is closed and the situation is dangerous.”

In addition to the warning lights, cameras have been installed that update images every 15 minutes. These images feed through to the Council’s Emergency Dashboard, allowing people to assess road conditions before traveling.

“People can see the images from the cameras now by visiting the Byron Shire Emergency Dashboard website,” Ms. Hughes said.

This initiative aims to enhance driver safety and reduce the risk of flood-related incidents on these busy rural roads.

For more Byron Bay news, click here.

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Byron Bay News

Eating, sharing knowledge and ideas…Farmers’ Feast a great success

Published

1 week ago

17 July 2024

Liam

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Eating, sharing knowledge and ideas…Farmers’ Feast a great success

Byron Shire Council’s Farmers’ Feast, held in collaboration with the Tweed Richmond Organic Producers Organisation in early July was a coming together of taste buds and ideas.

The event was designed to showcase the best of the region’s produce while bringing together organic and regenerative farmers and land managers to share information, stories, and conversation.

Andrew Cameron, Council’s Agricultural Extension Officer, said that because of the nature of their jobs, farmers don’t often get the opportunity to sit down and talk with other producers.

“Farming can be very hard and isolating, this was the perfect chance to get off farm to connect, share and learn with fellow like-minded farmers whilst feasting on the delicious food grown in our region” Mr Cameron said.

“Importantly it was also the chance for them to talk, get ideas, share information and hear and see what others are doing.

“Our climate and land in this region are so incredible and this coupled with the desire for producers to meet climate change, environmental and food security issues head on, was the foundation for conversations about looking after the land and feeding the community.

“We heard from a diverse range of speakers, from those who paved the way in the early years, to those flying the flag successfully today.

“It was great to hear farmers sharing their stories and learnings but most importantly hearing about their passion, commitment and purpose.

“Many thanks to everyone who took part in the event,” Mr Cameron said.

People in interested in regenerative agriculture and other events like the Farmers Feast can sign up to the Byron Farmers Network via Council’s website.

For more Byron Bay news, click here.

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Byron Bay News

Belongil Creek and Tallow Creek both open

Published

1 week ago

16 July 2024

Liam

Belongil Creek and Tallow Creek both open

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Belongil Creek and Tallow Creek both open

Belongil Creek and Tallow Creek are both open and flowing into the ocean.

With last week’s wet weather Tallow Creek opened naturally while Council mechanically opened the mouth of Belongil Creek.

Council, in accordance with approvals from the NSW Marine Parks Authority and Crown Lands, used an excavator to dig a channel through the sandbar at the mouth of Belongil Creek to release water levels in the catchment due to low level inundation experienced on the floodplain and around the town centre.

Belongil Creek and Tallow Creek are naturally occurring intermittently closed and open lakes and lagoons (ICOLL) which open and closes to the ocean.

ICOLLS are regarded as highly sensitive marine environments and there are strict protocols and rules in place relating to any attempt to artificially open the creeks because of the high risk of fish kills.

Chloe Dowsett, Coastal and Biodiversity Coordinator, said that due to the low-lying and flood prone nature of Byron Bay, when water levels in Belongil Creek (and Tallow Creek) build up and wet weather is forecast the sand at the creek mouth sometimes must be shifted manually,” Ms Dowsett said.

“The sudden rush of creek water to the ocean can rapidly deplete oxygen levels and cause fish kills and we have detailed plans and processes in place to reduce the chances of this happening.

“I am pleased to report that there have been no signs of fish kills which is great news,” Ms Dowsett said.

For more Byron Bay news, click here.

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