Splendour in the Grass has moved one step closer to returning to its Byron home after the Department of Planning and Infrastructure yesterday recommended approval for three events per year to take place at its North Byron Parklands site.
The department’s report – which was 15 months in the making – recommends three events be allowed to take place at the site in the first year. It caps crowd numbers to 25,000, 20,000 and 15,000 initially but leaves the door open to expanding the largest of these to 50,000 in future years.
The location of the event is opposed by many local residents, for noise and environmental reasons.
It has also been opposed by Byron Shire Council – its ‘three major events’ policy appears to specifically exclude Splendour.
But planning powers were taken from the council under the controversial ‘part 3a’ provisions of the previous state government 15 months ago and the current government decided to proceed with the planning consideration owing to the time it had taken to come to a resolution.
The recommendation will now go to the Planning and Assessment Commission for a final decision.
