HOTA creating heat among Gold Coast locals as noise levels start to rise

It may be the city’s cultural home for theatre and arts, but locals are up in arms about this one irritating thing just nine months after it was built.

Neil Finn backed by an orchestra, at the Gold Coast’s new Home of the Arts. Pic Luke Marsden.

HOTA’S open-air amphitheatre was built to be innovative and a huge cultural asset but already, just nine months since composer/comedian Tim Minchin played the first concert there, locals want the noise turned down.

A group calling itself Preserve Evandale and claiming to represent Bundall residents is pleading with the city council and area representative Gary Baildon to act, asking for noise levels to be monitored.

And they are fed up with the sound of machinery and trucks operating from 6.30am-6pm six days a week while the council builds extra carparking at Evandale.

Tim Minchin, the first artist to perform here at Home of the Arts. Pic: Lyndon Mechielsen.

In an email to Cr Baildon, Preserve Evandale leader Stephanie Marr says: “A group of us agreed the volume (of a concert early this month) was too high and I was told no one was monitoring it from the eastern corner of Crombie Avenue as there has been for other concerts.’’

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Cr Baildon has told the Bulletin he agrees noise monitoring must be carried out and that the council, as an entertainment venue operator, should not have special treatment that would allow excessive noise levels.

Car park proposal at Evandale on the Gold Coast.

Ms Marr wrote: “As it was a very warm night, residents had their windows open for breezes. Fortunately the concert finished at 9pm so we were able to sleep after then. As there is another big concert this coming weekend, we would appreciate noise levels be monitored and kept to a reasonable standard.

“Residents also reported that an afternoon concert was also excessively noisy. Gary, these people are used to living on a park. They now fear this could be like living in the middle of Surfers Paradise if not regulated appropriately.”

Residents told the Bulletin the weekend noise that brought matters to a head comprised a combination of “doof doof music” and the racket from construction crews working on the car park on the Saturday.

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Councillor Gary Baildon believes the complaints by residents are reasonable. Picture Glenn Hampson

Residents were not clear on which weekend program was the main offender.

Ms Marr said the group’s complaints had led to more sound checks for concerts, but the car park works remained an ongoing problem.

“The constant reverse beep beep goes on six days per week, 6.30am to 6pm. It’s upsetting residents,” she said.

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“The huge trucks going in and out and often parked along Crombie Avenue with their motors running is also inconsiderate.”

Ms Marr said the original plan was for 125 car parks to replace those lost for the building of the Art Gallery, but the council had added another 90 to accommodate construction vehicles.

Cr Baildon told residents that their complaints were “reasonable” and he would do his best to resolve the problem.

Documents show HOTA held 11 public events on the outdoor stage from March to June, hosting more than 13,000 visitors. As the city’s cultural program is ramped up, more than 140 community members have performed on the outdoor stage and 700 residents enjoyed the free monthly dancing on the green sessions.

Cr Baildon told the Bulletin he intended to keep monitoring noise levels and had spoken to city officers.

“I believe that everybody living close to the council buildings should be treated no differently to any other resident living elsewhere in the city,” he said.

“This should be treated as any normal commercial operation. Council has got to obey the (noise) regulations which apply.”