Byron businesses "crushed" by Splendour move

30 July 2010

by Lars Brandle

As the hordes descend on Splendour in the Grass this weekend, spare a thought for the folks left behind.

Many businesses in Splendour's old neighbourhood of Byron Bay are feeling the pain of the festival’s move north.

For the first time in its 10-year history, the winter festival has relocated to a bigger site in Woodfordia in south-east Queensland. And with it, more than $13 million has been yanked away.

That’s the sum arrived at by Ed Ahern, president of Byron United, the town’s Chamber of Commerce.

“It’s absolutely outrageous,” says Ahern. “We’ve had culture and art through music in this shire since the Aquarius Festival in the 70s. And that site up in Yelgun is a fabulous mix of modern and indigenous cultures. It’s tragic that a small amount of noisy wowsers can put a stop to all that. And they’re stealing the prosperity out of our economic community.”

Having outgrown its long-time home in the New South Wales coastal town, Splendour’s co-promoters Jessica Ducrou and Paul Piticco set their sights on a bigger property in the new site but their plans have become entangled in red tape thanks to a small but vociferous band of 'regional guardians', who didn’t want the Yelgun site turned into a temporary community of revellers.

Over the past two days, Ahern has gathered dozens of local business to “keep the rage going” and rally those calls to bring Splendour back. One of those taking part is Dougall Pennefather, GM of the popular Backpackers Inn on Shirley Street, just 11 minutes walk from the old site.

Typically, the 200-bed hostel would be turning away close to 2,000 over the Splendour weekend. Numbers, however, have been drastically down. “I’ve missed out on about $28,000 for the three days,” says Pennefather. “In the past, Splendour has always been the lily pad in the middle of the pond where you can step across to the next busy section,” he explains. “We’ve had a tough year in general. Then losing Splendour as well, it’s been extremely crushing to business.”

Splendour’s organisers are poised to submit their application to the NSW Department of Planning to hold the 2011 festival at Yelgun.

Piticco tells TMN “there’s a chance” that Splendour will move to the 660-acre site he co-owns with Ducrou and fellow promoter Brandon Saulm in 2011, but it's still not a certainty.

The sooner Splendour and its 32,000 ticket-holders return to Byron Bay, the better for business. “The BluesFest was held out of town for the first time, but we were still full at a higher-rate,” says Pennefather. “We’d do very well from Splendour. I’d love for it to come back here.”