Luna Park: Lavender Bay, McMahons Point residents raise new concerns over noise

New rides along with the introduction of ‘scream leaders’ at Luna Park are driving residents to despair. But should guest be made to quieten down? Have your say in our poll.

A list of new attractions at Luna Park is bringing new thrills to post-lockdown Sydneysiders, but not everyone is sharing the venue’s iconic smile with neighbouring residents raising fresh concerns over noise.

Homeowners in McMahons Point and Lavender Bay are pushing for additional measures to address noise from the fun park after it reopened with eight new rides including a big dipper roller coaster earlier this month.

Resident Bernard Smith, a member of the local community precinct committee, said the reopening of the park with high velocity rides has resulted in additional sound, music and announcements emanating across Lavender Bay.

Resident and local councillor Bernard Smith is fed up with noise.

Neighbours living within earshot of the 86-year-old venue have also taken aim at promotional material for the relaunch that encourages visitors to scream louder with one advert stating: “Sydney get ready to scream”.

“The concerns were raised when the ads came out promoting it as a scream fest and now that it’s opened people’s worst fears have been realised,” Mr Smith said.

“It runs as late as 10pm and the noise can be heard all around Lavender Bay. There are team leaders wearing ‘scream leader’ T-shirts and it’s the tone of the promotional material that many residents have taken objection to.

“We’re not silly enough to expect there won’t be some level of noise, but it’s getting to the ire of residents – the additional noise from new rides and the encouragement to scream. “

The park reopened with eight new rides earlier this month.

Luna Park said it was fully compliant with State Government regulations for the park which enables it to operate to a maximum noise level of 85 decibels – on par with the sound of a lawnmower or hair dryer.

A spokesman said noise testing was carried out seven times a day at various locations around the venue, equating to about 25,000 tests per year.

“Every ride and attraction fully complies with the very strict existing regulations relating to noise, height, lights, and hours of operation that have been in place since 2004,” he said.

“We are very proud of the painstaking work that has gone into retaining the heritage and history of this amazing harbourside site.”

One of the ads for the reopening.

Issues relating to noise have been aired at multiple community precinct meetings since the reopening and discussions have also centred on planning controls for the site which allowed Luna Park to build complying developments without having to lodge development applications.

“Usually an exempt development is small scale like a cubby house, and very low impact types of things, not seven or eight new rides including a roller coaster,” Mr Smith said.

There have also been meetings between the precinct committee and compliance officers from the Department of Planning in which residents have pushed for new noise level restrictions and noise monitoring results to be released to the public.

A Luna Park spokesman declined to say if the venue would support the public release of its noise testing results, but said annual noise audits are submitted to the Department of Planning, North Sydney Council and Luna Park Reserve Trust.

North Sydney councillor Ian Mutton this week lodged a request to North Sydney Council requesting it release the results to the public.

He said many residents who have bought into surrounding units over the years expected some level of noise from the park, but said the new rides have resulted in increased disturbances.

Local resident Bernard Smith.

The park reopened with eight new rides.

“Luna Park has certainly been there since the 1930s and the community by and large accept that,” he said.

“What's causing the issue now is the new rides take the park to a whole new level of operation and you’ve got Luna Park calling for people to scream and make ever more noise within metres of people’s bedrooms.

“The publication of the noise reports regularly at the very least should be available to the community so residents can sensibly talk to them about it.”

Noise monitoring is conducted at the park throughout the day.

Mayor Jilly Gibson recognised noise from the venue was an emotive issue in the community but said there was no evidence to suggest Luna Park was breaching its conditions of consent.

“Now that it’s been reopened with new rides it’s obviously come as a shock for locals because its been closed for so long,” she said.

“I’m a big Luna Park supporter – it’s an integral part of the North Sydney local government area but there’s a fine balance with the residents who live around Lavender Bay and Milsons Point.”

Some residents have meanwhile been reluctant to speak to the media about their noise concerns with one park neighbour telling the North Shore Times: “every time we’re quoted we’re publicly castigated as the silver fox residents of Lavender Bay”.

The park is surrounded by homes and units.

The reopening of the park comes after the venue closed in January to accommodate the $30 million upgrade which also includes the Sledgehammer ride, the Boomerang and the Loopy Lighthouse.

It was originally due to relaunch in June before Sydney’s lockdown struck, pushing the reopening date back until November.

The latest concerns by residents are not the first noise time issues have come to light with previous resident-led court action resulting in the operating hours of the Big Dipper heavily restricted in 1995. The attraction was later sold to Dreamworld in Queensland.

There was also a Supreme Court case in 2009 over similar noise objections however the case was dismissed after the court found Luna Park not in contravention of its plan of management.

A Department of Planning spokeswoman said the department would be undertaking further noise monitoring after the park reopens for weekends to ensure it stays within the 85-decibel noise limit.

“Luna Park is required to undertake an annual noise audit and to date, there have been no issues relating to noncompliance,” she said.