The Sauce: Premier Chris Minns turns up the volume against Allianz Stadium NIMBYS
Many locals will not agree with the decision but Premier Chris Minns has declared that all concerts to be played at Sydney Football Stadium would be at full volume. Don’t miss The Sauce.
NSW
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Premier Chris Minns is turning the volume back up against NIMBYS trying to “quieten” some of the proposed new rock concerts set to take place at Allianz Stadium.
Six months after Minns declared the number of concerts to be held at Sydney Football Stadium would be increased from four to 20, government consultants have been coming up with alternate proposals to placate noise-averse locals living near the stadium – but offended at the prospect of having Beyonce and Bon Jovi blasted into their loungerooms.
With 106 of the 132 public submissions objecting to the extra concerts, consultants suggested five of the proposed 20 concerts would be held at a “lower volume” than the rest.
The traditional all-night Mardi Gras after-party – should it ever be moved to Allianz – would also have to commit to turning down the volume after 2am.
However, The Sauce can reveal there has been a shift in attitude among bureaucrats managing the consultation process, with Venues NSW this week declaring the proposed 20 concerts would be held, and at full volume.
It is understood the shift follows a frustrated Minns – who had declared a global city like Sydney needed to have the ability to host international acts such as Beyonce at the stadium – told those in charge to get the job done.
In a letter understood to have been prompted by the premier’s edict, Venues NSW event acquisition and partnerships group general manager Stephen Saunders fired off a letter to Planning NSW boss Kiersten Fishburn this week, declaring how there will be no noise limits for the additional concerts.
“Venues NSW has determined to not reduce the noise limit for any of the 20 proposed concerts,” Saunders wrote. “Similarly, it has been determined not to progressively reduce the noise levels during the proposed Mardis Gras event.”
Saunders said the proposed restrictions would create an “unnecessarily complex regulatory framework” that was “less clear” for local residents to understand, onerous for Venues NSW to administer, while requiring additional departmental resources.
“Venues NSW acknowledge that the additional concerts and possible future Mardis Gras event will result in additional noise impacts upon the immediate locality, “ he wrote.
“However, the benefits to the hundreds of thousands of attendees and to NSW’s arts, creative and visitor economy will significantly outweigh these impacts.”
And in the bureaucratic equivalent of an FU to NIMBYS, Saunders added: “The NSW Government has expended significant efforts and capital in the establishment of a world-class venue, on a site which has hosted large-scale entertainment events for more than a century.
“It is essential that the benefits of the venue are not hindered by the imposition of additional restrictions that would adversely impact upon the ability of Venues NSW to attract world-class performers to Sydney.”
Restrictions have meant that Venues NSW have been unable to host international artists such as the Foo Fighters, Bon Jovi, Billy Joel and potentially Beyoncé.
SCHOOL’S OUT
It was with great fanfare that former premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the government would be rebuilding her old high school on its original site.
Closed in 1998 due to falling enrolments, the site of Peter Board High School – later becoming North Ryde High School – in Macquarie Park was sold to developers before sitting vacant.
That was until 2017 when the former premier – and ex-school prefect – declared the government had struck an exclusive agreement with the site owners to rebuild the school. The announcement may have coincidently occurred a fortnight before the hotly contested Bennelong by-election.
Woolworths, the most recent owner of the land, had planned to open one of its Masters hardware stores there but after that venture went pear-shaped, talks began within government about repurchasing the site to build a school to meet the growing demand.
Almost five years on, the Coalition ditched the plan.
It is understood a business case for the school ruled the Woollies site too small for a dual public and high school option, while hockey fields would have to be established on a separately owned plot of land.
A non-binding Memorandum of Understanding between Fabcot – Woolworths’ development corporation – and the NSW Department of Education expired and was not renewed. As for a new school, one is being built down the road.
SCUTTLE BUTT
A senior public servant was left red-faced after rejecting claims he had told a town-hall meeting that questions raised during his appearance in Budget Estimates earlier this year was “scuttle butt”.
Greens MLC Abigail Boyd had grilled SIRA chief executive Adam Dent at a Public Accountability and Works Committee (PAWC) hearing. how a $132,000 contract with Ernst and Young (EY) – where Dent had previously worked – had later been increased to more than $12m.
Blaming “an error” when the contract was first entered into, Dent said even he wondered how a five year actuarial agreement could come in so cheap.
“The biggest question I had was who on earth ever thought it was worth $132,000 in the first place?” he said.
“We suspect that must have been an error when the contract was first entered into. It’s a standing actuarial agreement for a period of five years. I haven’t got an explanation, and I’m seeking one myself.”
In responding to a potential conflict of interest, Dent said EY had had a contract before he started at SIRA, and “as a general rule” he was not involved in any of the procurement processes at SIRA, being “ merely” the accountable authority whose “job was to authorise that money be spent on that actuarial contract.”
Three months later, Dent and Boyd came face-to-face again, with Boyd accusing Dent of referring to his earlier Estimates as “scuttlebutt”
Dent fired back, saying it was “not a word I would have used, no”.
However, the senior public official clearly had a rethink as later on in the hearing, he requested to correct his answer, explaining how he hadn’t used the word “scuttlebutt” to describe his appearance, but had stated it “in the context of saying that once we got past the scuttlebutt of the session …”
“It’s an unusual word for me to use and regrettable in the circumstances,” a chastened Dent said. “I certainly took that inquiry very seriously, as I hope you noted on the day.”
SPOTTED
Senate hopefuls – one more than the other – Andrew Constance and Dave Sharma at the Orient Hotel in Sydney on Thursday night. The pair had attended a Young Liberals mentoring session before heading over to Paddo RSL for a trivia fundraiser. Constance remains the frontrunner for the selection taking place next Sunday.
Got some Sauce? Contact linda.silmalis@news.com.au
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