North Byron Parklands is a beautiful 660 acre site at Yelgun in the north of the Byron Shire which is proposed as a permanent sustainable cultural event venue.

Latest update
Following a rigorous fifteen month investigation process the Department of Planning and Infrastructure has finalised their assessment of North Byron Parklands with a recommendation for approval. They have now handed the application to the Planning and Assessment Commission, who will make the final decision regarding whether or not the application will be approved.

Below are extracts from the Director-General of the Department of Planning and Infrastructure's Environmental Assessment Report:

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;
• Rehabilitation and revegetation works along Marshalls Ridge, strengthening this area as a vegetated wildlife corridor, and;
• The creation of permanent new habitat with constructed wetlands along the boundary of the Billinudgel Nature Reserve.

The Department's recommendation is for the site to carry out three major events of 30,000; 25,000; and 15,000 patrons respectively over a single calendar year for the first year of operation (over a maximum of ten event days).

A single event of 30,000 patrons may be carried out in perpetuity should the proponent meet all KPIs (key performance indicators) after the first year of operation.

Should the proponent seek to increase the size of events, this will be at the discretion of the Director-General following consideration of a KPI Report, and any other matters the Director-General considers relevant.

The recommendation to increase the size of events of no more than 5,000 patrons per event, per calendar year will ensure that any intensification of site usage is gradual, with sufficient time for monitoring and reporting of any residual impacts; and for the implementation of further management measures.

The maximum site usage will comprise four major events, with the maximum sized event capped at 50,000 patrons.

Background and vision
A small group of people formed the Billinudgel Property Trust in 2006 with the vision of creating a socially and environmentally viable home for events and celebrations in the Northern Rivers.

Splendour in the Grass was held for nine years at Belongil Fields on Ewingsdale Road in Byron Bay. Belongil Fields is privately owned and the property is currently undergoing a rezoning process for residential development.

Culture and celebration have always been an important part of the social and economic fabric of the Northern Rivers. A viable cultural economy needs events of all sizes for the young, old and everyone in between as it’s the variety within the local cultural economy that gives it sustainability and vitality. Unfortunately however, event organisers have a limited choice of site options.

The space sought to host Splendour and other celebrations needed to be close to a major highway, have few immediate neighbours, be large enough to host major events and have at least the same amount of space again to let nature breathe alone by herself.

After a long search the space was found. Pasture land used for grazing covered two thirds of the 660 acre property, which also had numerous forested areas. Many of these were in need of rehabilitation.

Owning this land has set about a chain of events which have refined the original vision. Providing a space for events and celebrations has become the means through which to nurture an enterprise that in turn can generate enough business within the local region to ensure its economic stability.

Further, the enterprise has committed to supporting local community groups and charities through a Community Grants Fund. This fund would provide in excess of $100,000.00 every year when the enterprise was operating at capacity.

The overall land holding is 258.71 hectares. The area proposed for events including parking, camping etc is 93.29 hectares. Therefore the proposal will use only 37% of the site for event purposes. This limited use allows for intensive regeneration and reforestation works which can be funded by proceeds from the enterprise. Much has been done but plenty more can and should be done on the land to restore and enhance the adjoining nature reserve and the currently fragmented wildlife corridor which straddles the property.

The road toward approval -
A Development Application for a trial event in 2009 (Splendour in the Grass) was approved by the Byron Shire Council in July 2008. Byron Shire Council’s approval was then challenged in the Land and Environment Court by the group Conservation of North Ocean Shores (CONOS). The Land and Environment Court found fault with Byron Council’s processing of the approval and invalidated the DA approval.

In late 2009 The Byron Shire Council put forward their Draft Events Policy and Draft Events Guidelines. The limitations placed on events through the two documents were considered so restrictive that Splendour in the Grass chose to temporarily relocate to Woodford for the 2010 tenth anniversary Splendour in the Grass event. In August 2010 an application was lodged with the NSW Department of Planning for a permanent sustainable cultural event venue, under the Part 3A framework.

Whilst North Byron Parklands awaits approval, Splendour in the Grass was again held in Queensland for the 2011 event. Mayor of Moreton Bay Regional Council Alan Sutherland has said that Splendour injected over $40 million into their local economy over the last two years.

Download: North Byron Parklands – A History

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Contact - community@northbyronparklands.com