Council Minutes - Town of Cambridge

COUNCIL MINUTES
TUESDAY 20 DECEMBER 2011
DV11.125 APPLICATION - FOUR 'NON-COMPLYING EVENTS' (CONCERTS) IN A 12
MONTH PERIOD AT WA ATHLETICS STADIUM, MT CLAREMONT
PURPOSE OF REPORT:
To consider the application to conduct up to four non-complying concerts events in any 12
month period at the WA Athletics Stadium, Mt Claremont.
BACKGROUND:
The Western Australian Sports Centre Trust trading as VenuesWest have submitted an
application to conduct up to four non-complying events in any 12 month period at the WA
Athletics Stadium, Mt Claremont.
In terms of the Environmental Protection (Noise) Regulations 1997, an approved non-complying
event is a sporting, cultural or entertainment event, that is open to the public, that is likely to
generate noise levels well above the assigned sound levels for the area; and the event would
lose its character or usefulness if it were required to comply with the assigned sound levels.
In such circumstances a conditional Regulation 18 Approval for a Non-complying event is
issued by the local government Chief Executive Officer. The Regulations define that noise from
such an event is not unreasonable if it is emitted in accordance with an approval granted under
regulation 18.
Sub-regulations 18(11) and (12) of Environmental Protection (Noise) Regulations 1997 requires
that the Chief Executive Officer may not approve the holding of more than 2 non-conforming
events at a particular venue in any period of 12 consecutive months unless the CEO is satisfied
that the majority of occupiers on whom the noise emissions will impact have no objection to the
holding of the additional events. Further, that an approval cannot be given unless the local
government of each district in which the noise is received agree to the proposed conditions
applicable to the approval.
This sports facility is located within the Town of Cambridge and the City of Nedlands; the local
government boundary bisects the facility. As a result, both local authorities have legislative
authority over the venue. In this particular aspect, the stage is located within the Town, so
Cambridge is the approving authority in terms of the Noise Regulations.
DETAILS:
VenuesWest hosted the Stevie Nicks concert at the WA Athletic Stadium on 26 November
2011. At the time of application, VenuesWest were encouraged and finally agreed to orientate
the stage so that noise was directed to the west rather than the east, as originally planned. This
gave a large buffer of bushland and sports facilities to help attenuate noise before it was
received at residential properties in Mt Claremont.
The Regulation 18 approval issued by the Town for that event applied a sound limit of
LAeq,1min level of 100 dB (at 30 metres). That sound level limit was allowed to be exceeded
by no more than 3 dB(A) on no more than thirty occasions during the approved concert time.
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