Fred Again Gold Coast: Solution to Spit concert traffic chaos after British DJ gig cause gridlock
A major music concert promoter and the authority for The Spit say it will be a case of Fred Again chaos never again with drastic changes made. FIND OUT WHAT
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A major music concert promoter and the authority for The Spit say it will be a case of Fred Again chaos never again with drastic changes made to ensure its longevity for major events.
A festival at The Spit on Saturday is being hailed a success by authorities and a promoter who say they moved fast to implement lessons from the disastrous Fred Again gig two weeks ago.
The Souled Out concert a fortnight later at Doug Jennings Park attracted 18,500 people.
Gold Coast Waterways Authority CEO Chris Derksema said it went off without a hitch.
The authority had met immediately with council, police, event promoter Cross Promotions and traffic experts to ensure no repeat of chaotics scenes after the British DJ's March 9 show attracted 31,500.
“While Souled Out was a smaller event than the Fred Again concert, it was nevertheless a great testing ground for the type of event designated for the park in The Spit masterplan that we want to see successfully delivered at the site,” he said.
“We made some major learnings and were able to quickly incorporate them. Other learnings will take longer to implement and are being considered as part of a review of the Doug Jennings Park management approach”.
Mr Derksema said similar planning would occur ahead of three more music festivals for 2024.
“The Authority will continue engaging with key stakeholders about upcoming events, providing information for times, dates, scale, road closures, other specific requirements, and potential issues,” he said.
“Doug Jennings Park is an important venue for outdoor events and forms part of a range of locations available for events here.”
Cross Promotions co-owner Billy Cross praised the outcome for the site.
“The traffic management was first class, traffic build up was minimal, rental bikes were promptly removed after use and toilets were placed on the route to the park in addition to the facilities available on site,” he said.
“It was an amazing event at an amazing venue and builds on the success of the site with events since 2002.”
Gridlock gripped the area after patrons streamed out of Fred Again’s concert. Buses for patrons proved inadequate, with a bigger crowd than either the Suns or Titans AFL and NRL season openers, both that same afternoon and evening.
Hundreds rode hire bikes to Main Beach and The Spit, later abandoning them on cluttered footpaths.
Main Beach Association president Sue Donovan said at the time similar size events should be at stadiums. In a letter to the Waterways Authority, Ms Donovan said residents wanted assurances after Fred Again fans - due to lack of toilets - forced venues to close.
“The lack of toilet facilities en route to Doug Jennings Park resulted in disgusting scenes.
Patrons who were forced to walk great distances had no choice but to relieve themselves
in public,” she wrote.
Her letter coincided with Planning and Environment Court judge Nicole Kefford criticising her credibility. It was in a ruling favouring Gold Coast Helitours continued operation after the Gold Coast council moved to shut it down.
Ms Donovan was a council witness.
Judge Kefford said she had “serious reservations about” Ms Donovan’s “credibility and reliability as a witness” saying she had a “has a clear animus” against the business and ran an “organised campaign of complaints”.
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