The government is proposing a compromise for noise-averse residents near Moore Park that would restrict five of 20 concerts at Allianz Stadium each year to a lower volume than the rest.
Furthermore, the official Mardi Gras after-party would need to maintain a significantly quieter volume after 2am if it moved to Allianz.
Allianz Stadium at Moore Park will be able to host 20 concerts a year - but some will have to keep it down.Credit: Wolter Peeters
The compromise attempts are contained in formal responses to community feedback lodged online on Monday by consultants on behalf of Venues NSW, which manages the stadium.
In May, Premier Chris Minns announced he would raise a long-standing cap on the number of concerts permitted at Allianz Stadium from six in a single year to 20. The consultation process unearthed opposition from locals concerned about noise, traffic and parking.
Of 132 public submissions, 106 objected to the change, 19 supported it and seven were neutral, according to a summary prepared by Ethos Urban for Venues NSW.
Currently, the noise limit outside the stadium – typically measured on Moore Park Road – is 70 decibels. That limit would remain for 15 of the 20 concerts, but be reduced to 67 decibels for five.
In its report, consultant Arup said the three decibel reduction at the point of impact “represents a perceivable reduction in noise, considered a level of reduction which could be accommodated by international event promoters”.
The all-night Mardi Gras after-party, which typically hosts big-name performers and DJs until after sunrise, would come under harsher restrictions, with the outside noise level limited to 60 decibels between 2am and 6am - the peak time when the main act performs.
The Mardi Gras after-party will be held at the Hordern Pavilion in 2024, but organisers previously canvassed a move to Allianz Stadium given the larger capacity. A draft plan of management also published on Monday by Venues NSW said 40,000 people could attend if held at the stadium.
“Venues NSW are committed to a tapering down of maximum noise levels for the Mardi Gras event throughout the evening, in order to reduce the impact of noise on the surrounding community in the more sensitive early hours of the morning,” the agency said.
But Mardi Gras organisers said on Monday: “These plans were not drawn up by Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. We currently have no plans to relocate the Mardi Gras Party.”
Sixty decibels is generally considered the equivalent of a normal conversation, while 70 decibels is approximate to a washing machine or a busy street.
A spokesman for Sport, Property and Lands Minister Steve Kamper said the government was determined from the outset to lift the cap and bring entertainment back to Moore Park.
“We also said we would listen to concerns and propose reasonable solutions. We think it is reasonable to ask people to turn down the volume a little at 2am,” the spokesman said.
Paul McCartney played Allianz stadium in October.Credit: Wolter Peeters
While written submissions in the consultation process were generally against increasing the cap, focus groups conducted by Ethos Urban for Venues NSW revealed a different attitude. One group consisted of concertgoers from Greater Sydney aged 25 to 54, while the other comprised nearby residents aged 25 to 59 who were randomly recruited to participate. All 19 attendees supported increasing the concert cap.
The focus groups were scathing about Sydney’s nightlife, especially in comparison to Melbourne, and suggested lifting the cap could help. Participants raised the difficulty of finding somewhere to eat after 9pm, a lack of places to take overseas visitors at night and their view that “the precinct is for everyone, and a select few residents shouldn’t ruin it for them”.
“We are a grandma city,” one person told the focus group interviewers. Another person said: “You wouldn’t come here to party.” Another said: “Does the government want to promote having a safe night out? Or restriction, restriction, restriction? Sydney is a restriction city!”
Beatles legend Paul McCartney played two shows at Allianz Stadium in late October, following Bruno Mars in 2022 and Elton John in January. Permitted noise levels were exceeded just once, briefly, during one of the Bruno Mars concerts.
The proposed changes are now being assessed by the Department of Planning.
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