Splendour in the Grass 2022: Yelgun site criticised for safety and endangered ecology

Amid safety and environmental concerns after the Splendour “mudfest”, some believe the festival should be relocated. Here’s why.

As the mud settles, environmentalists and locals believe Splendour should find a new home away from flood-plain and endangered lands.

After months of unprecedented flooding, locals say the mudfest was inevitable and fear lives could be at risk in the future.

NSW Greens Member and environmental lawyer Sue Higginson said the festival site has a dark history.

“Splendour is not a story of culture and art but of mega money, environmental destruction and local community pain and suffering,” Ms Higginson said.

She said the land is home to several endangered ecological communities, with significant aboriginal cultural heritage.

“Place matters – actually it's everything,” she said.

In 2009, the decision to relocate to the current Yelgun site was met with backlash from locals and environmentalists, leading to a court case, which was initially won at a local level.

Sue Higginson saw first-hand in Lismore the flood impacts and worries lives could be put at risk if Splendour in the Grass isn’t relocated.

Ms Higginson said Splendour organisers were “determined” to elevate the court case to state level, overriding the initial planning control and court decision.

The case brought to light flood and fire concern.

“We had seen radical flooding and knew the site could become dangerous,” Ms Higginson said.

She recommends an assessment of the development approval to deem its viability for future weather events.

“Anyone could see this coming, 50,000 people doing intensive activity is simply reckless on that site,” she said.

Several reports of dislocated knees came from the events and Ms Higginson fears lives may be put at risk in the future if the site isn’t reconsidered.

“Lismore changed everything. People died and these catastrophic events will happen again,” she said.

With the capacity increase to fifty-thousand, many believe the venue is not capable of holding those numbers.

Splendour in the Grass 2022 was a muddy affair, despite the euphoric return of live music with a star-studded line-up. Picture: Matt Gazy

Katrina Smith grew up in Byron Bay and said the 2010 Splendour in the Grass venue in Woodford is a better alternative, with larger spaces.

“Woodford was established with local indigenous tribes and the valleys run north to south, with the main stage facing west so audiences can watch the rising sun and moon,” Ms Smith said.

Despite the impact of mass tourism into an area still rebuilding from floods, some want a site closer to the town.

“It’s a joke that it was brought back to a location that isn’t even in Byron Bay,” she said.

Some are suggesting train services should be made available in the area with the existing Yelgun platform in walking distance to the festival.

“If festival goers had the option of getting on a train it would avoid all the on road vehicle traffic snarls, holdup and congestion and bogging,” Stephen Cooke from Northern Regional Railway Company said.

Splendour in the Grass will certainly be going back to the drawing boards for 2023 to avoid having to dish out thousands of refunds – despite the euphoric return of live music.

Splendour is yet to provide comment regarding the venue‘s future.