Modification 7 Changes to Concert Restrictions

I wish to object to both the significant development modification applications SSD-9249-Mod 7 and SSD-9835-Mod-8 as submitted by Venues NSW.

Description of the development consent
Concept Proposal (SSD-9249) – Concept development application for the redevelopment of the Sydney Football Stadium.
Stage 2 (SSD-9835) – Design, construction and operation of a new 45,000 seat stadium and associated public domain.

These modifications will significantly diminish the amenity of the South Paddington neighbourhood.
By way of background most events at the football stadium and its neighbour, the Sydney Cricket Ground (including sporting events such as NRL, AFL, A-league, Rugby Australia and so on) lead to increased noise levels, increased late night foot traffic and increased street traffic. This significantly impacts the amenity of South Paddington residents. Examples are:
Increased illegal parking (particularly behind my house on the corner of Martin and Stewart Streets). This often results in access to off-street parking on my property being blocked.
Inability to find on street parking when events are being held.
Anti-social behaviour. Numerous occurrences of theft, vandalism and drunkenness along Regent St have been recorded in the past year alone. Some have been serious enough to be reported to the police.
Families with school age children are often disturbed by both the noise from the stadium and by foot traffic well past 10pm at night. This is detrimental to their ability to get an adequate night’s sleep, impacting their school performance.
Next, concerts are significantly more disruptive to the amenity of the neighbourhood than sporting events. This is for the following reasons:
Concerts usually attract more participants and are always significantly louder and last later into the night than sporting events. Rehearsals in the days leading up to the concert add further disruption by way of noise.
Attendees usually travel from further away and usually by car resulting in double parking, illegal parking and traffic disruption in the South Paddington streets.

This application does not address the above issues but serves to increase them. Further it makes a series of misleading and baseless assertions to the contrary.
Objection 1: Increasing the cap to twenty concerts per year
This will lead to the loss of amenity for residents of South Paddington.
Within section 9.0 Justification of modified project the proposal makes the following statement:
I note that the current planning approvals allow the stadium to be operated for sporting events up to 365-days per year, and accordingly the proposed additional frequency of concert events is not considered to result in any significant additional adverse effects.
This is incorrect for reasons 5. & 6. above. Increasing the number of concerts is not like for like with sporting events. Sporting events generally are not as disruptive to South Paddington residents.
Objection 2: Amend rehearsal and finishing times and sound tests from 7pm (as currently approved) to 10pm
Rehearsals are likely to be held mid-week affecting the amenity of local families as described in point 4. above.
The application should at least be consistent with the current rules noting that in Appendix B/A19 it states:
f) other outdoor events with sound amplification: 10am – 8pm (days preceding working days); and


Objection 3. Increase the maximum concert length from 5 hours (as currently approved) to 10 hours, for no more than 2 concerts
An increase in concert length will result in the inability for residents to access their properties over an entire day (see point 1 & 2 above) and lead to significantly more anti-social behaviour as described in point 3. above.

Objection 4. There should not be an increase in concert numbers due to illegal parking and the associated lack of amenity for South Paddington residents.
The application states the following under 2.2 Transport Management:
On-street parking within surrounding suburbs includes a mix of time -limited, residential permit parking and unrestricted parking. City of Sydney Council are responsible for enacting or changing on-street parking restrictions and for enforcing compliance with parking regulations on Council-managed roads, including Regent Street and Oatley Road in Paddington.

This may be factual but does not prevent the amenity of residents being affected. Sydney City Council can only issue parking tickets and cannot immediately remove vehicles illegally parked. Hence patrons wilfully disregard parking restrictions knowing this. Streets in the South Paddington area should be open only to residents when concerts are held.

As a Sydney FC fan, I'm deeply worried about changing the concert rules at Allianz Stadium from 6 to 20. Here's why:
We play many games at Allianz Stadium, around 14 each season. It's essential to respect our presence there, as we are a significant tenant.
We have a dedicated fan base, with an average attendance of 19,000 supporters. We want our fans to have a great experience, and changing concert rules may affect our games and the pitch quality.
Changing the concert cap could hurt our club financially and impact our ability to compete at a high level. This would not be good for our loyal fans.
The condition of the pitch is crucial for player safety and performance. After concerts, the field may not be in optimal condition.
We are actively involved in the community, promoting football and health awareness. A reduction in revenue due to changes in concert rules could hinder our community initiatives.
In conclusion, I urge the government to reconsider increasing the concert cap at Allianz Stadium. Sydney FC is a vital part of our city's identity and a source of pride for its supporters. Please maintain the current concert cap of 6 to preserve the stadium's sporting heritage.

I object to the large increase in the number and duration of concerts planned for the stadium. The stadium is not the right place for large concerts - the parking is inadequate in our area already and it becomes much worse on event days. Homebush is a much better venue - it’s nearer the geographical centre of Sydney and the public transport and parking are far better.

As a Sydney FC fan, I'm deeply worried about changing the concert rules at Allianz Stadium from 6 to 20. Here's why:
We play many games at Allianz Stadium, around 14 each season. It's essential to respect our presence there, as we are a significant tenant.
We have a dedicated fan base, with an average attendance of 19,000 supporters. We want our fans to have a great experience, and changing concert rules may affect our games and the pitch quality.
Changing the concert cap could hurt our club financially and impact our ability to compete at a high level. This would not be good for our loyal fans.
The condition of the pitch is crucial for player safety and performance. After concerts, the field may not be in optimal condition.
We are actively involved in the community, promoting football and health awareness. A reduction in revenue due to changes in concert rules could hinder our community initiatives.
In conclusion, I urge the government to reconsider increasing the concert cap at Allianz Stadium. Sydney FC is a vital part of our city's identity and a source of pride for its supporters. Please maintain the current concert cap of 6 to preserve the stadium's sporting heritage.

As a Sydney FC fan, I'm deeply worried about changing the concert rules at Allianz Stadium from 6 to 20. Here's why:

We play many games at Allianz Stadium, around 14 each season. It's essential to respect our presence there, as we are a significant tenant.

We have a dedicated fan base, with an average attendance of 19,000 supporters. We want our fans to have a great experience, and changing concert rules may affect our games and the pitch quality.

Changing the concert cap could hurt our club financially and impact our ability to compete at a high level. This would not be good for our loyal fans.

The condition of the pitch is crucial for player safety and performance. After concerts, the field may not be in optimal condition.

We are actively involved in the community, promoting football and health awareness. A reduction in revenue due to changes in concert rules could hinder our community initiatives.

In conclusion, I urge the government to reconsider increasing the concert cap at Allianz Stadium. Sydney FC is a vital part of our city's identity and a source of pride for its supporters. Please maintain the current concert cap of 6 to preserve the stadium's sporting heritage.

I am writing as a passionate Sydney FC fan to express my deep concerns and opposition to the proposed change in concert caps at Allianz Stadium, which would increase the limit from 6 to 20. I implore the government to carefully consider the following points before making any decisions:
First and foremost, I request that you acknowledge and respect Sydney FC's status as a paying tenant of Allianz Stadium. The club plays a substantial number of home games at the stadium, with at least 14 fixtures held there each season. It is crucial to recognize that the construction of Allianz Stadium was driven, in part, by the fundamental role that sports, including football, play in our community. Sydney FC, as the major tenant and the sole summer tenant, should not be subjected to eviction or fixture clashes due to concerts. Such a scenario is simply unacceptable.
Sydney FC boasts an impressive average attendance of 19,000 loyal supporters, with thousands more following the club from various locations. The government must take these ardent fans into account when making decisions related to concerts. This includes careful consideration of fixture rescheduling and the maintenance of pitch quality, both of which directly impact the overall experience for us supporters.
Changing the concert cap without due consideration for Sydney FC could jeopardize the club's financial stability and revenue streams. This, in turn, could lead to detrimental consequences for the club's competitiveness and, ultimately, diminish the enjoyment of us fans.
Furthermore, I express my legitimate concerns regarding the condition of the pitch and the overall quality of the sporting product after concerts are held. The maintenance of a high-quality pitch is essential for player safety and performance, as well as for the satisfaction of us dedicated fans.
Lastly, it is imperative to recognize Sydney FC's active involvement in the community, where we serve as ambassadors for football and health awareness. Any reduction in the club's revenue, as a result of changes to the concert cap, could have adverse effects on our community engagement initiatives.
In conclusion, I earnestly request that the government reconsider the proposal to increase the concert cap at Allianz Stadium. Sydney FC is more than just a football club; it is a symbol of our city's spirit and a source of immense pride for its supporters. I beseech you to protect the interests of our club and its devoted fans by maintaining the existing concert cap of 6 and preserving the rich sporting heritage of Allianz Stadium.

As a Sydney FC fan, I'm deeply worried about changing the concert rules at Allianz Stadium from 6 to 20. Here's why:

We play many games at Allianz Stadium, around 14 each season. It's essential to respect our presence there, as we are a significant tenant.

We have a dedicated fan base, with an average attendance of 19,000 supporters. We want our fans to have a great experience, and changing concert rules may affect our games and the pitch quality.

Changing the concert cap could hurt our club financially and impact our ability to compete at a high level. This would not be good for our loyal fans.

The condition of the pitch is crucial for player safety and performance. After concerts, the field may not be in optimal condition.

We are actively involved in the community, promoting football and health awareness. A reduction in revenue due to changes in concert rules could hinder our community initiatives.

In conclusion, I urge the government to reconsider increasing the concert cap at Allianz Stadium. Sydney FC is a vital part of our city's identity and a source of pride for its supporters. Please maintain the current concert cap of 6 to preserve the stadium's sporting heritage.

See attached submission

The proposed changes will dramatically increase the noise in the neighbourhood which is already bad. It is a very high density area and a LOT of people are going to be subjected to this noise including many many families.

I strongly do not support these changes.

The Frontier Touring Co. Pty Ltd - RESPONSE
Sydney Football Stadium is a fantastic venue for our artists. In 2023, we have already held two Elton John concerts at SFS with shows from Paul McCartney and Robbie Williams to follow later in 2023.

Frontier’s shows in 2023 are just under the total cap of 6 shows. This does not include any shows from other promoters in Australia.

With the cap in place, shows could be lost to other NSW venues such as Giants Stadium or Stadium Australia, taking the economic benefit from the local area out to the west (Homebush).

Worse, shows could be lost to other states with exclusive performances such as Billy Joel (MCG, Victoria), Coldplay (Optus Stadium WA).

There is currently no cap on sporting events at SFS - the stadium can operate 365 days per year, yet only 6 of these operational days can be used for concert events (1.6% of possible operational days). An increase to 20 concerts only increases this to 5.5% of possible operational days.

Very few sporting events can generate the same economic return for both Venues NSW and the local economy.
It is stated in the application that concerts generate $1-1.5 million per show for Venues NSW and $5-7.5 million per show economic benefit to NSW. This is vastly more than any sporting event the venue can host. We suspect this also excludes any allocation of annual rights or sponsorship revenues such as those paid for naming rights, pourage or ticketing partnerships. All of these venue revenue streams are also disproportionately driven by concert content.

The additional economic and cultural benefits these large stadium concerts bring to the Sydney Football Stadium will be lost to the local economy if the current concert limit remains.

Lifting the cap supports the initiatives put forward by the government to strengthen our nighttime economy and reinforces that these facilities are available for the wider public of NSW.

We fully support the increase in the cap on the number of concert events that can be held at Sydney Football Stadium.

Frontier Touring is one of the most respected, long standing, and proactive concert promoters in Australasia. Formed in 1979, Frontier has had a fundamental role in entertaining Australians and New Zealanders across four decades. In 2019 Frontier expanded its global ties by entering into a strategic joint venture with AEG Presents and carries on the legacy of Michael Gudinski as part of the Mushroom Group.

I am writing to express my objection to the proposal to increase the number of concerts to be hosted at Allianz Stadium. I make the following comments in relation to my objection.

1) The proposal is inconsistent with the Development Application approved for the redevelopment of the stadium, which provided for a maximum of 6 concerts per year (4 per year on average over 5 years) and the proposed increase has a profound effect on the amenity of the surrounding area for people like me who live in South Paddington and are neighbours of the stadium. It also makes a mockery of the original proposal which residents accepted in good faith.

2) While I accept that living in South Paddington means I must coexist with events at the stadium, and much of the time I enjoy the atmosphere and energy that comes with events of this type, I feel that the quantum of the proposed increase is completely unreasonable especially when it is understood in the context of there being no stated intention to deal with the flow on effects of such a change. Rather, the intention is to do what has been done in the past, which hasn't worked anyway. The impact of the proposal to neighbouring streets like Regent Street, Oatley Road, Moore Park Road, Gordon Street, Renny Street and other streets that make up the community of South Paddington is enormous. We already have a situation where existing major events are poorly managed by Venues NSW (with the exception of the recent FIFA events which were better managed from this perspective), with the following harms to local residents:
* traffic banked up Regent Street all the way to Renny Street with Ubers and other cars waiting in the street to collect people after events and to drop them off prior to events. In fact, during the Elton John concert on the Wednesday night, Oatley Road was impassable, completely filled with traffic and Oxford Street and Moore Park Road were crawling along at best in the lead up to the event. The infrastructure in South Paddington was not built with this sort of traffic in mind, and the lack of crowd management and vehicle management support as people tried to leave the area while others were arriving was a perfect storm. Drivers were becoming agitated and confused and people were still looking for parking after the event had started;
*car parking restrictions are completely ignored by people using the venue with residents being forced to park their cars (most of us do not have garages and park in the street) in paid car parks or even resorting to parking further afield, including Bondi Junction and then catching public transport or taxis back to our own homes. It seems to me that most people attending major events (and this sometimes includes the NRL games) have decided that a parking fine in South Paddington is part of the cost of attending an event at the Stadium and most seem happy to pay that cost with the residents suffering the consequences which include not being able to park but also not being able to get out of their garages as cars are lined up in lane ways waiting to drop people off and pick them up so that residents cannot leave their properties;
*garden beds, newly installed in many streets of South Paddington, are being destroyed or damaged by foot traffic as large numbers of people spill over the footpath and into the verges to exit the venue and head towards Oxford Street; and
*garbage, including empty bottles and cans and fast food wrappers and packing being left in the street as people leave the venue.

3) This proposal must be considered in the context of other developments that are currently mooted for Paddington, and South Paddington in particular, rather than the view taken that every development is separate and should be considered in isolation. This attitude is deeply irritating when one is a resident of South Paddington because each proposal has an individual impact as well as an incremental impact when we have multiple projects and developments under consideration that affect each other. I have attached a copy of the letter I wrote to the Minister of Transport in relation to the proposal to build a cycleway in Oxford Street as in that letter I express my concerns the view that Paddington residents feel like we are under attack from multiple angles and trying to respond to, and deal with, the impact is exhausting.

4) At an information session about the proposed development that I attended some months ago, one of the representatives from Venues NSW or a consulting firm supporting Venues NSW made a comparison between Allianz Stadium and AAMI Stadium in Melbourne, suggesting that they were quite similar. What a poor comparison; nothing could be further form the truth. AAMI Stadium has a capacity of 30,000 people and is not in a residential area. It is part of an entertainment precinct in Melbourne that is extremely well served by public transport and bordered by major roads that allow people to exit in any direction using major arterial roads. The absence of residential dwellings within multiple kilometres of the venue (and separated from the noise and other effects of the concerts by Punt Road) is yet another feature of that stadium that makes it a completely different proposition to what we are looking at with Allianz Stadium in Paddington.

5) The application does not deal with what would happen when multiple events are happening at the same time or within close time proximity of one another, for example at Allianz Stadium, the EQ with Hordern Pavilion and the SCG. As a resident who will be impacted, this is important to me.

6) I understand from the Paddington Society that they have conducted research which indicates that other large stadiums around Australia have more sensible limits on the number of years an application can last for, while the proposal on the table here is for an indefinite period which means that residents are stuck with it if we do not ensure we obtain a sensible outcome from the outset.

Finally, I want to comment on the information session conducted at the Stadium some months ago to talk about the proposal. My experience of that session was that it was largely a waste of time, with some representatives appearing to be "going though the motions" without any real concern about the issues raised by residents in relation to the implications of the changes for them. It was deeply disappointing at best and patronising at worst. I believe that any increase in the number of events at the Stadium can only happen with significantly improved impact management (vehicle and foot traffic, noise and social behaviour). Making vehicle access to the key streets in South Paddington only accessible by residents and to foot traffic in the lead up and after the event and opening up the roadways so that people can walk down the middle of the roads which are wider than the footpaths when exiting the venue after an event. This has happened on some occasions in Regent Street and Oatley Road and is a better way to allow large number of people to exit a venue. I would also like to draw your attention to the questions raised in Parliament about adjustable parking restrictions by Alex Greenwich MP, local member of the City of Sydney, and commend them to you to reflect on and consider as part of your consideration of this proposal.

I trust that my concerns will be considered in the context of any decisions made in relation to this application.

This over-priced development was justified on the basis that the existing facility needed to be upgraded as a major sporting venue. Opening it to up to 20 concerts would interfere with its primary purpose, in particular to A-League football matches scheduled over the spring-summer period. There are other major concert venues in Sydney. Should these venues be regarded as insufficient, then a business case to build additional venues should be prepared for public scrutiny. I object strongly to this proposal.

As a Sydney FC fan, I'm deeply worried about changing the concert rules at Allianz Stadium from 6 to 20. Here's why:

We play many games at Allianz Stadium, around 14 each season. It's essential to respect our presence there, as we are a significant tenant.

We have a dedicated fan base, with an average attendance of 19,000 supporters. We want our fans to have a great experience, and changing concert rules may affect our games and the pitch quality.

Changing the concert cap could hurt our club financially and impact our ability to compete at a high level. This would not be good for our loyal fans.

The condition of the pitch is crucial for player safety and performance. After concerts, the field may not be in optimal condition.

We are actively involved in the community, promoting football and health awareness. A reduction in revenue due to changes in concert rules could hinder our community initiatives.

In conclusion, I urge the government to reconsider increasing the concert cap at Allianz Stadium. Sydney FC is a vital part of our city's identity and a source of pride for its supporters. Please maintain the current concert cap of 6 to preserve the stadium's sporting heritage.

As a Sydney FC fan, I'm deeply worried about changing the concert rules at Allianz Stadium from 6 to 20. Here's why:

We play many games at Allianz Stadium, around 14 each season. It's essential to respect our presence there, as we are a significant tenant.

We have a dedicated fan base, with an average attendance of 19,000 supporters. We want our fans to have a great experience, and changing concert rules may affect our games and the pitch quality.

Changing the concert cap could hurt our club financially and impact our ability to compete at a high level. This would not be good for our loyal fans.

The condition of the pitch is crucial for player safety and performance. After concerts, the field may not be in optimal condition.

We are actively involved in the community, promoting football and health awareness. A reduction in revenue due to changes in concert rules could hinder our community initiatives.

In conclusion, I urge the government to reconsider increasing the concert cap at Allianz Stadium. Sydney FC is a vital part of our city's identity and a source of pride for its supporters. Please maintain the current concert cap of 6 to preserve the stadium's sporting heritage.

My main objection is to the proposed increase in the test times for rehearsals and tests from 7pm to 10pm. Rehearsals are much more disruptive in terms of noise than actual events because of their repetitive nature, fluctuations in volume and indeterminate occurrence. Night time noise is particularly disturbing as the noise is more penetrating at night and inhibits rest and sleep, particularly for one room tenants in boarding houses and flats. There is no necessity to undertake rehearsals at night and approval would a complete disregard for the welfare of neighbours. This proposal is in addition to the over threefold increase in the proposed annual number of concerts which in no way can be described as modest. The current volume of all the stadium events is already disruptive in terms of noise, vehicle and pedestrian traffic and littering. Therefore, I am also objecting to this very large proposed increase in the number of concerts which are actually noisier than sporting events. Consequently, I would also object to the doubling of the maximum concert length for the above reasons. I also consider it inappropriate that the decision making process is not being made by an independent authority and there is no right of appeal. The stadium is a taxpayer funded facility and I think it is objectionable that it is being used to the detriment of the welfare of neighbouring residential taxpayers.

As a Sydney FC fan, I'm deeply worried about changing the concert rules at Allianz Stadium from 6 to 20. Here's why:
We play many games at Allianz Stadium, around 14 each season. It's essential to respect our presence there, as we are a significant tenant.
We have a dedicated fan base, with an average attendance of 19,000 supporters. We want our fans to have a great experience, and changing concert rules may affect our games and the pitch quality.
Changing the concert cap could hurt our club financially and impact our ability to compete at a high level. This would not be good for our loyal fans.
The condition of the pitch is crucial for player safety and performance. After concerts, the field may not be in optimal condition.
We are actively involved in the community, promoting football and health awareness. A reduction in revenue due to changes in concert rules could hinder our community initiatives.
In conclusion, I urge the government to reconsider increasing the concert cap at Allianz Stadium. Sydney FC is a vital part of our city's identity and a source of pride for its supporters. Please maintain the current concert cap of 6 to preserve the stadium's sporting heritage.

The Entertainment Quarter support this Modification as we believe it will help to:
• Further enhance NSW’s global reputation to host major entertainment and cultural events;
• Increase domestic and international cultural-based tourism to Sydney and NSW;
• Support the growth of Sydney’s 24-hour, night-time local economy; and
• Further leverage Government investment in Allianz Stadium and the Light Rail.