Residential amenity
Our approval requires an extensive range of actions, programs and monitoring processes to avoid where possible or otherwise mitigate impacts upon the residential amenity of those living around the site.
Below are some of the measures we have committed to in order to preserve the residential amenity in the north of the Byron Shire for the limited periods of time that events will occur each year.
Community
- We will advise local residents prior to any event;
- Immediate neighbours will be personally contacted prior to events;
- Advertisements will be placed in local papers advising of event dates and times, traffic considerations, community hotline details and other relevant information;
- All information will be place on this website (and the event website);
- Events will operate a telephone and web-based hotline for any community member to let us know of immediate issues;
- Events will operate an off-site response team to address and manage any issues ie illegally parked vehicles, camping, litter, etc;
- Events we will provide extensive on-site medical services, pay-for-use police services and on-site ambulance services (paid for by the event);
- Events will provide security services and engage National Parks Officers in the immediate area on a pay for use basis to stop unauthorised people from accessing private property or the Billinudgel Nature Reserve.
Traffic Management
All events are required to implement a comprehensive Transport Management Plan that will:
- Employ monetary incentive strategies to maximise car occupancy rates, thereby reducing the number of cars attending the event;
- Employ strategies to maximise public transport, private bus usage, bicycles and car-pooling to reduce the number of cars attending the event;
- Provide public transport connections to adjacent townships and key transport nodes such as airports, bus stations and railways, where applicable;
- Provide detailed transport information to the public to inform community members of busy traffic times in and around the event venue;
- Manage traffic during ‘bump in and bump out’ and event days;
- Provide priority to local traffic movement past the site, where possible;
- Provide substantial queuing capacity on site thus minimizing the possibility of queuing on Tweed Valley Way;
- Facilitate efficient processing and inspection of event patron vehicles within the site;
- Provide event site access for patrons over an appropriate time frame prior to the event to reduce peak traffic;
- Secure approval for temporary closure and access control (residents and their visitors only) of Jones Road (and possibly other local roads) for event days;
- Provide security services along Jones Road to ensure that event patrons and other unauthorised people do not access the road or private land.
Noise Management
We are in the process of preparing a comprehensive Noise Management Plan. This plan will:
- Identify all major sources of noise emitted during the carrying out of an event;
- Identify nearby sensitive receivers, including the adjoining Billinudgel Nature Reserve;
- Identify appropriate noise limits/criteria for sensitive receivers;
- Identify noise limits within camping areas between midnight and 8:00 am to support peaceful rest during events;
- Identify and implement best practice management techniques for the minimisation of noise from the site. For example, appropriate siting and orientation of performance stages and speakers, acoustic barriers, insulation/double glazing of sensitive receivers etc.;
- Produce procedures and limits for carrying out sound checks prior to and during events and rehearsals to ensure compliance with the relevant noise criteria, and measures to be undertaken if any non-compliance is detected;
- Stipulate requirements for sound engineers at each stage and their ability to enact noise mitigation measures;
- Provide procedures for responding to any noise complaints received during an event.
- Undertake pre, during and post event noise level monitoring;
- Provide attended monitoring at the boundary of residents in close proximity to the venue during the day, evening and night time of each event day;
- Produce a post event noise report detailing any noise issues, remedial action, noise levels and data from unattended noise loggers.
Community Grants Fund
We have established a Community Grants Program which will commence with the first major event held.
Economic impact
The Director-General of the Department of Planning and Infrastructure wrote in his Environmental Assessment Report (30/11/11):
Public benefits of the proposal include:
- the creation of 15 full time construction jobs and 115 full time equivalent jobs during operation of the project;
- a significant economic benefit to existing business operators in the region, particularly for the tourism, hospitality, and entertainment industries.
Further, RPS Group undertook a comprehensive Economic Impact Assessment of the proposal in 2010. Their report states that when operating at capacity North Byron Parklands will:
- Generate $192 million annually (total multiplier effect).
- Bring an estimated 22,907 day trippers annually.
- Bring an estimated 97,418 visitor nights annually.
- Bring an estimated $4,960.438 annual expenditure on accommodation.
- Bring an estimated $7,606,289 annual expenditure on meals.
Regulatory Working Group
In 2012 a Regulatory Working Group was formed to provide guidance to the project.
The group comprises numerous agencies including Police, Roads and Maritime Services, National Parks and Wildlife, State Emergency Services, Office of Environment and Heritage, Rural Fire Service, Byron Shire Council, between three and five Community Representatives and representatives from North Byron Parklands.
The first meeting was held in September 2012, the second in February 2013 and a third meeting has been scheduled for May 2013. Parklands is required to hold at least one RWG meeting prior to the first trial event.
Topics covered include habitat restoration, ecological monitoring, illegal camping, security, noise, event traffic and car parking, flooding, bush fires and evacuation plans.
The minutes from May 01-2013 meeting here-->
The minutes from February 27-2013 meeting here-->
The minutes from September 12-2012 meeting here-->
Contact - community@northbyronparklands.com

