Brad Graham, The Pocket
There has been much comment in the news about the operational problems of Splendour but little about the noise impact on local residents.
Overall, most performances were okay but the evenings were something else altogether. Headline acts were given the freedom to blast out intolerably low bass frequencies that could be heard up to 15 kilometres away. These levels could not possibly be considered safe by EPA noise standards. What damage are they doing to young ears and what about the wildlife? There are elderly persons to consider, people with chronic health problems and the people who have to get up at six in the morning to work.
Surely one solution would be to orient your big stages toward the sea away from the local community and provide adequate sound barriers at the rear. Splendour, you have a responsibility to make your venture a success for everybody, not to further alienate more local residents who patiently put up with enough disruptions already.
Well get ready folks seems like we could be in for a Festival every 3-4 months of every year from now on could even be less time… on two festival sites… with in 10 minutes from each other… so if you have any thing to say that goes against the conditions of consent set out by the PAC or council conditions get in contact with either the Director General or DoP, or Council.
Also remember that our state government passed NBP festival site with no contributions to Council, so we the rate payers will be paying for these punters to use our infrastructure. With approx 14,000 rate payers and approx 35,500 population and these PRIVATE consortium’s coming to town…. NOISE is just one of the factors… that we are going to have to try and get worked out, let alone all the other factors that will contribute as the years go by for the TRIAL on one site. We should be holding a stake holders meeting with STATE, Council, and Festival Promoters in council where the residents can let these people know what is really going on.
All words on the noise but no words on the jobs created by the festival.
For the little few who are worried for themselves, we thank you for your patience for something which happens so rarely, is it really enough to complain about?
I worked there and the noise was reasonable, I am 35 years old, I do not have spring chicken ears and I believe the sound was clear and didn’t harm my ears.
For an area with such high unemployment, we would like to say thank you again for creating work for us locals and a smile on many faces.
Hopefully there will be less mud in the future.