With North Byron Parklands (Parklands) now in its final year of operation under the current trial approval from the Department of Planning and Environment (DP&E), it is seeking a 20-month extension while simultaneously asking for an expansion.
The Yelgun festival site is home to Splendour In The Grass and Falls festivals.
General manager Mat Morris says that under the current trial approval, Falls Festival Byron 17/18 cannot operate.
‘The modification seeks to extend the trial period dates by an additional 20 months to August 31, 2019.
‘There are no other changes to the concept plan and project approval being sought.’
Morris says that Parklands’ submission for permanancy has resulted in it having to address Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs), which was issued January 18, 2017.
‘The SEARs is a comprehensive list of environmental assessment requirements for the proposal,’ he says.
As Parklands is ‘committed to wholly responding to the requirements’, Morris says detailed expert analysis, assessments and consultation will need to be undertaken.
‘Owing to the extensive nature of the SSD, it is envisaged that the assessment and approval timelines for the permanent application will extend well beyond the expiration of the Parklands trial approval period,’ he said.
A disaster. Waiting to happen,
If we get a rain event when one of these festivals are the parkland site would experience a flood that
Would undoubtedly cause mayhem, injury and probably deaths,
For a start these festivals do not even have an evacuation plan in place, a sure precursor for chaos