Noise issue must be addressed
An estimated 25 000 people are said to have attended the New Year’s Eve bash held at the sports complex.
THE continued use of the Regional Sports Complex in Veldenvlei as a venue for late night (and through-the-night) parties must be urgently addressed.
Despite numerous complaints from long-suffering, rate-paying residents, it is apparent that the municipal authorities have no intention of stopping concerts from taking place at the sports fields.
This is flagrant disregard for residents of the suburb, who are well within their rights to want such functions to take place during reasonable hours, and at acceptable volumes.
They also have the right to know what, if any, costs are paid by the promoters for the use of this public amenity – built and maintained by ratepayers – as well as for the intense post-event clean-up operations.
An estimated 25 000 people are said to have attended the New Year’s Eve bash held at the sports complex.
At the advertised admission prices, the event would have raked in over R3-million, a large amount of which would be profit once expenses are deducted.
One trusts that a significant amount would have returned to the City’s coffers.
On the positive side, these events are catering for definite needs especially among the youth, and have generally gone off without reports of overt unruly behaviour.
But that is not the issue.
The complex was designed and constructed as a venue for sports, not for mass music events.
During the EIA process, no consideration would have been given to noise pollution, as this is minimal during sporting events, which in any case take place during reasonable hours.
Had this social (noise) impact been foreseen, sound-suppression in the form of additional walls and other measures would have been demanded.
(Noise volumes, in any case, are subject to stringent by-laws which are among many that are not being enforced.)
There is some sympathy for the municipality, who have to try and make everyone happy, but to say there is no other suitable venue for concerts begs the issue and merely makes the council’s problem, the Veldenvlei residents’ problem.
A permanent solution needs to be workshopped in the interests of all concerned.
