The Habitat Advocate

 

So, following the loud noise disturbance from the Katoomba Carrington Hotel on Saturday 26th October 2024, and our failed attempt to chat with the hotel’s festival organiser, who ordered us off the premises, we notify local Blue Mountains Council on the following Monday 28th October when Council is back at work.

We lodge a Customer Service Request  (CSR 514828) to Council and request a dialogue about this matter.  The Carrington’s owner had setup brass band with additional amplified music situated in the guest car park that played over towards adjoining residences, rather than having previously utilised their approved festival space (of equivalent size) on the other side of The  Carrington’s grounds in the more suitable hearty of uptown Katoomba just off Katoomba Street.

We received no response by Wednesday 30th October, so we email out complaint to Council in writing as follows, and this isn’t the first time we’ve raised this intrusively loud amplified noise issue with this Carrington owner. 

 

 

Attention:  Council’s Programme Leader for Health and Compliance

 

RE: Noise Complaints – Carrington Hotel amplified music | CSR 514828/13 Feb 2024 | CSR 558418/28-Oct-2024

I hereby again complain a second time to you about the amplified noise coming from The Carrington Hotel premises.

Brass Band Playing from Carrington Car Park

Last time, on 13th February this year I raised this problem with both The Carrington management and Council.  A day later I received a call to my phone from one of the joint owners of the Carrington Hotel. It was Michael Brischetto. I explained to him about my concerns about the loud audible amplified music from my place and our conversation then was amicable.

Now we have another noise disturbance incident. 

All I seek in this matter is a right to quiet enjoyment of where I live in an historical and typically quiet residential neighbourhood. I am concerned about this new noise becoming a precedent and a more frequent occurrence if not nipped in the bud.

My records and expressed concerns support my real worries about what this ‘new noise’ pollution could lead to, to risk destroying our peaceful home environment:

1. I refer to my email to you 7th March 2024 about the loud amplified music noise at The Carrington Hotel car park off Parke Street in Katoomba, and also from last Saturday 26th October 2024.

2. This loud noise was clearly audible to me at my home, being situated three streets away to the west in Kundibar Street. The noise started in the morning, and on and off, continued into the night. The first I heard it, it was a loud small brass band playing with a heavy bass guitar reverberating deep sound that was audible from inside my home. I happened to have been ill that day and I was asleep in bed, and this noise woke me up.

3. This amplified noise could be heard as far away as Waimea Street in The Gully, more than 250 metres away through this residential precinct downhill. I had a walk around the block that day and I confirm this. [See attached ‘Residential Proximity to Noise Map’]

4. I went to inspect where the noise from coming from and found its emanating from The Carrington Hotel’s car park off Parke Street, being used again for a music festival – this time The Carrington’s own ‘Oktoberfest’ festival involving live bands (amplified music) and selling beer in The Carrington’s car park.

5. Again, as a local resident, I consider it highly inappropriate and disrespectful that amplified noise be allowed to occur adjacent to residential homes and audible into the back streets beyond.

6. Generally, The Carrington Hotel’s owners permit public access on site to the Grounds, Front Verandah, Reception, the Cocktail Bar, its adjoining toilets, Lounge and Dining spaces. On this particular Saturday, public access was granted to the car park’s upper level where the festival was taking place under a large marquee. So as a member of the public I was free to walk around the grounds and the upper level of the car park and to freely take ‘tourist’ photos. This I did.

7. I noticed the event’s signage on the day read that it was open to general public. I also read the event promotional banner above the car park lower-level eastern entrance read ‘Free admission’.

8. As supporting evidence, I attach photos I took last Saturday on foot as well as my audio recording (software of which does not reflect the true loudness of the actual volume).

9. For your reference, also as supporting evidence I attach copies of excerpts of The Carrington’s public website specific to this event ’Oktoberfest’. SOURCE: https://thecarrington.com.au/whats-on/oktoberfest/ [Accessed: 30-Oct-2024]

10. My understanding is that The Carrington a few years back (perhaps 2015) gained Council approval to double the size of its car park by converting it into a two-storey car park. But this car park second-story development was surely not approved as a venue for holding festivals, concerts, serving alcohol and encouraging large crowd gathering, nor for playing loud amplified music. Is this the case?

11. The Carrington’s website advertised this event to occur between 11am and 9pm on the Saturday. Did Council give approval to The Carrington Hotels owners for this event and amplified music?

12. The juxtaposition of this car park is directly across the street from residential homes. Indeed, these homes at situated in a heritage housing conservation precinct dating back to the 1870s. It includes heritage listed ‘North’s Estate’ which pre-dates The Carrington Hotel opening of 1883. This Norths Estate’ is where I live and have lived here continually since 2001.

13. The current owners of The Carrington Hotel date their ownership to 2004.

14. I request a copy of council’s consent conditions for this car park development, since I am an adversely affected neighbour to this development use.

15. Did Council approve the use of the car park for festivals including loud amplified noise that could be audible into the adjoining residential area many streets away?

16. On this occasion, I walked up to the pedestrian entrance to this festival in the car park and met a man in a silly pixie hat and costume wearing sunglasses (my photo attached) there gatekeeping the festival’s entrance, who then identified himself as one of the joint owners of The Carrington. It was Michael Brischetto again. I expressed my concerns to him politely about the loud amplified noise, pointing out that I live just a few streets away. But he was quite rude to me, refusing to listen to me, but recalled my previous complaint from the February festival and realised I was the same person who had complained then. He immediately ordered me to “Get off my property!” So I immediately did so.

17. So, having tried to reason with Michael Brischetto unsuccessfully, I now complained to Council about this noise.

18. As before, I request such loud festival events not be staged in The Carrington’s purpose-built car park off Parke Street, but rather at the dedicated grassed lawn area (below), which has been successfully used previously for such festivals as the Lady Luck Festival (of the past 14 years) , which is more appropriately located off Katoomba Street in the heart of retail Katoomba, some 200 metres east of the car park.

 

 

I am sure that both The Carrington Hotel owners and Council could readily work together toward a mutually suitable arrangement for such ongoing festivals, so as not to upset local residents like me and my family by it using its unintended car park near homes.

19. This time, I request Council actually contacts the owners of The Carrington about this matter, notifies them of my complaint and that Council does something to address it, ideally prohibit such loud amplified music from being played from its car park off Parke Street please.

20. I am prepared to go public on this matter, and indeed pursue this matter legally.

 

Sincerely,

Steven Ridd
Conservation Consultant

W: https://habitatadvocate.com.au/
T: 02-4782 1300