Splendour In The Grass has copped its second fine in as many years for breaching noise limits during its 2015 event in June. As the Northern Star reports, the festival has come under fire from a local wildlife group who want it evicted from the North Byron Parklands.

The fine marks the festival’s second infringement since the opening of the Parklands. It was also issued with a warning for violating other stipulations for use of the site after evidence was presented to the Planning Department by Conservation Of North Ocean Shores (CONOS).

CONOS are concerned noise from the festival is impacting local wildlife, including the some 50 threatened species that use a nearby wildlife corridor and wetland. A CONOS spokesman said it was the Planning Department’s own monitoring which led to the fine.

The spokesman said issues with the festival utilising the site had been “ongoing” since it first arrived amid a storm of controversy in 2013 and that, fines notwithstanding, the Planning Department had barely followed up on the group’s complaints.

“We’ve had photographic evidence of some of the breaches and they’ve said no, we’ve got to catch them in the act ourselves,” said CONOS’ Bob Oehlman. “Our argument is why impose all these conditions if they’re not going to enforce them.”

“We’re not against festivals… it’s just where this festival was given approval to operate is a joke. The State Government spends a lot of money investing in a nature reserve of very high value and then plonks a festival site in the middle of it, basically.”

“Sure, Parklands have done some tree planting but… what’s the point of planting trees to attract wildlife when you’re blasting noise at them and frightening them off. It’s been shows overseas that these noise problems, you don’t notice (the impact) until years later.”

Oehlman said the group are primarily concerned with how the festival impacts local wildlife, though he noted that residents as far as 10km away in Upper Burringbar could hear the noise emanating from the festival.

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The people who run Falls and Splendour from day one have wanted the levels increased; fortunately the Department of Planning have resisted that,” he said. “It’s the bass levels that are the major problem, hence the rattling of windows and such.

“We are not opposed to music festivals, we just don’t want to sacrifice a richly unique environment for the festivals. We believe the owners should move to an area that is not a bio-hotspot.”

“It would make no difference to the music patrons, but it would be a big plus for the 50 threatened species that are resident in the locality.”

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