Splendour In The Grass Push For Noise Restriction Changes After Complaints

Splendour In The Grass’ North Byron Parklands venue is moving to have its noise level restrictions re-considered after receiving a number of local complaints during the 2014 event.

After being granted a five-year trial period in 2012 following a lengthy approval process to host events, the site – in which Splendour and Falls promoters Paul Piticco and Jessica Ducrou have an ownership stake – has hosted three festivals, Splendour twice and the first Byron Falls.

“There were more complaints at Splendour 14 than Splendour 13, but we were running bands like Outkast which are bottom heavy.”

North Byron Parklands General Manager Mat Morris confirmed to theMusic.com.au today that they have received a number of complaints during those two years. They’ve now moved to amend noise restrictions, which Morris described as being “unworkable”.

In April 2012 when the Planning & Assessment Commission [PAC] granted the five-year trial, they decided to not enforce recommendations from the NSW Department of Planning & Environment [DP&E]. Instead, and following consultation with the community, who had grave reservations about allowing events to be held at the site, PAC opted to put strong restrictions on high-end frequencies and leave low-end bass frequencies unregulated.

While Morris admits that at each event they’ve gone over their high-end restriction, he said that the “vast majority” of complaints came from the bass elements.

The Parklands hope that the modification request will see the loosening of high end restrictions in exchange for a low-end limit.

“That’s the component that was annoying them,” Morris said of the bass, “that’s the part we were looking to address.”

He added, “There were more complaints at Splendour 14 than Splendour 13, but we were running bands like Outkast which are bottom heavy.”

While they did have issues with wind carrying the high end frequency at this year’s event, he said that the high-end restrictions are impossible to work with under all conditions.

“What we’ve got at the moment is unworkable… We can’t even have a band starting without reaching the limits.”

“What we’ve got at the moment is unworkable… We can’t even have a band starting without reaching the limits.”

After taking readings from the previous three events across 15 months, Morris is confident that the limits they're proposing will keep locals happy while not diminishing the festival experience. He said that their proposed limits will bring them into line with other outdoor events around New South Wales.

The proposal will require reports and public exhibition and Parklands are hoping to have a response in time for Splendour 2015.

Falls Festival Director Brandon Saul has already expressed that they’ll be doing everything possible to keep noise levels unobtrusive for locals while operating under the current restrictions for this year’s event.

Also included in the proposed modification is the ability for Parklands to host small-scale events on its site, with Morris saying they have been approached by schools and sporting organisations looking to host activities at the site. Currently the trial guidelines restrict the site to three events a year, none of which run longer than four days and take up no more than ten days a year in total.