Sue Arnold, co-ordinator, Australians for Animals Inc.
North Byron Parklands now seeks to ensure that the Yelgun festival site will be given consent as a state significant development, for permanency. Their preliminary application details approval will be sought for 12 events with up to 50,000 patrons and 8 events with up to 25,000 patrons annually.
Given the fact that the Blues now has consent for l00 days of festivals it is becoming very clear that this beautiful Shire, its unique natural assets and residents will pay a very heavy price for the efforts to establish Byron Shire as the festival capitol of the east coast.
There is no cost benefit analysis in terms of the social and amenity cost to residents. It was pretty clear from the last Splendour that the increased numbers resulted in a disastrous
traffic jam with many people left for hours late at night on site. Noise, impacts on wildlife, drug arrests, clogged roads, packed cafes, trashed beaches, no parking, traffic gridlock. Its almost impossible to imagine what the Shire can become.
Ratepayers are being asked to fork out huge increases at a time when mega festival owners are using their power, political influence and money to irrevocably change Byron to suit their pockets and their vision for Byron whilst ratepayers fund the infrastructure.
I’ve travelled to some of the most beautiful places on Earth and witnessed the destruction of these sanctuaries by big money and greed.
Once upon a time it was a lot of fun to look forward to the annual Bluesfest and Splendour. But one or two good festivals was not enough for these corporations.
With the recent passing of legislation by the Baird government, which allows wholesale land clearing and immense loss of protection for wildlife, the ramifications for Billinudgel creatures if this approval goes ahead will be extinction.
In bypassing council, Parklands makes clear its contempt for the Byron community.
We are living in a time where the people have no rights and politicians are there to ensure big money is not inhibited by legislation or protest.
Byron is at a crossroads and the mega festivals proposed by Parklands must be an injunction for residents to do everything within our power to ensure that our Shire remains a place of sanctuary.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
