Pill testing: Woodford Folk Festival organiser says controversial safety measure should happen

The man behind Queensland’s Woodford Folk Festival said the popular event would participate in a controversial pill-testing trial if it meant one life could be saved.

Crowds at Woodford Folk Festival 2016.

THE man behind Queensland’s Woodford Folk Festival said the popular event would participate in a controversial pill-testing trial if it meant one life could be saved.

Organiser Bill Hauritz told The Courier-Mail that the ­festival would always be on the front foot when looking after patrons.

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“We worry about drugs and we look for it,” he said.

“We would certainly participate in trials.”

Multiple Queensland music festivals have reached out to the STA-SAFE consortium, which conducted last year’s pill-testing trial in Canberra following the deaths of multiple festival-goers, including Brisbane man Joshua Tam, 22.

Woodford Folk Festival founder and director Bill Hauritz. Picture: Tara Croser.

Woodford was not one of them, but Mr Hauritz said the evidence indicated that pill testing “should happen”.

The organiser said he did not condone drug use, but conceded it played a big part in some people’s lives.

“Woodford has not been a place where it’s been an issue but we don’t know if it’s there or not,” he said. “While we don’t think it’s a problem, ‘don’t think’ is not good enough. If (it) saves one life it’s (worth it).”

Former premier Campbell Newman yesterday reignited calls for a debate around legalising drugs.

Crowds at Woodford Folk Festival 2016.

His comments were met with mixed reactions from Queensland politicians, with Education Minister Grace Grace leaving the door open to legalisation.

Acting Premier Cameron Dick said pill testing needed federal leadership, while Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington slammed the idea of legalisation, claiming “drugs turn good ­people into bad people”.

The State Government is looking at findings from last year’s pill-testing trial at Groovin the Moo in Canberra.

Gino Vumbaca, co-founder and president of Harm Reduction Australia, which is part of the consortium, said “lots of calls” had been received from festivals. “They are wanting us to provide pill testing, but we advise we can’t without the OK from government,” he said.

Mr Vumbaca said STA-SAFE was offering a free trial to all state governments.