Alastair Duncan, Ocean Shores
To propose a festival in the Brunswick area at a time that we would already be running at peak occupancy is absolute lunacy. The Xmas and New Year period is the lifeblood of many Brunswick businesses and I simply cannot see how any of them will benefit from another festival. It could only decrease the number of actual visitors that choose to spend their holidays in this little town. By actual visitors I mean the people who have been coming here for many years and keep all the small businesses afloat.
Having Splendour over a quiet weekend is one thing, but now we to have to take the overflow of Bluesfest in Easter, and Falls Fest over NYE. I thought that the idea of these festival sites was to increase revenue to the area, not decrease it. Once again Brunswick Heads, and the surrounding communities, are footing the bill for Byron Bay’s inability to organise a coherent and workable entertainment policy. We have not even had the Splendour festival yet, and we have had this announcement with zero community consultation, on the basis that it will fix the problems for the ‘Bay’.
With all due respect to the parents who find this a suitable alternative to a Byron Bay NYE, the idea is to fix the Bay’s shortcomings, not divert them to a smaller area further away, with even less capability to deal with these issues. Brunswick Heads is traditionally a family holiday area, the exact opposite of Byron Bay. Our guests rarely cause any trouble, and I would like to know who will be responsible to ensure that this continues. Will Falls also go until 2am? Is any of this in line with the family holiday atmosphere that Brunswick Heads has developed for itself?
If Falls Festival wants to be here for NYE, then make it 100 per cent camping and let them sort out all the issues associated with having all those extra people in a capacity area; they are the ones who are profiting from this. (Note, I am not a business owner in any capacity.)
Thank god for Alastair Duncan, Ocean Shores who is seeing through all this. A few facts our mayor and Brandon Saul have jumped the gun as DoP and the Director General plus the RMS have not given permission yet for the Falls Festival to be held at New Years Eve. The North of the shire has had absolutely NO consultation NARDA and our Mayor said in his election campaign that he was all for community but is it he’s now Byron Centric….. also $25,000 to fix BB for NYE again before DoP or other Depts have made a decision, it leaves you with an unpleasant taste in your mouth. Has BB finally succumbed to the big promoters dollars and left its green credentials that its world renowned for in the gutter… seems like it. There will be no jobs in the Falls Festival as the positions have already been filled if you want to voleenter in exchange for your ticket go for it (check site for confirmation of this )again all moneys going into Festival promoters pockets. No section 94s no money to council for Rds, pot holes etc. BUT money going to BB for a NYE party that will not divert people out of byron it will just mean the Shire, that is already filled, and only has 14,200 rate payers, will again be forking out for the profits of a few… get real decision makers and start to talk to your residents an Local Area command before you put us all under such pressure, and if you have a decision then we deserve to know when this was passed. Come clean those who are involved
The fake Greens Mayor (and his pack of corrupt Holiday Letters) has no power to invite the Falls festival. The State government has stated that they will not consider the Falls event application until after the State govt considers the impacts from Splendour. Of course with the events support by the anti community, anti environment Greens Mayor Simon Richardson, I suspect that the state govt will give consent. And while the community lifestyles of the 1600 Bruns residents are likely to be overwhelmed by event crowds, the event sites tens of thousands of tonnes of carbon pollution will contribute to sea level rises (the projected 4 – 6 degrees temperature rises in the next 80 years will lead to 8 – 12 metre rises of the sea level, which will wipe Brunswick Heads – generally 2.5 – 5 metres above sea level, off the map) – all courtesy of the Greens!!