Application for new EDM festival Initiation NYE slammed by Southern Downs Regional Council

The future of a new EDM music and arts festival on the Southern Downs is now in limbo after their application was knocked back by council, despite already selling a number of tickets. Here’s why.

Art and music festival Initiation NYE hosted by Sundried Events has hit a snag in its plans for the festival to take place in the Southern Downs in 2024. Photo: Garlic Aeolan/Initiation NYE/Facebook

Plans to hold a five-day music and arts festival in rural Southern Downs are in limbo after council slammed the event organiser’s proposal.

Sundried Events has operated their annual Initiation NYE festival across parts of South East Queensland for the past four years, setting their sights on a parcel of land in Junabee for their 2024 event.

The five-day festival hosts a variety of music, dance, art, performances and workshops, with this year’s event channelling ancient wisdom through ‘Myan Dreamspell’.

Sundried Events dream of holding their annual music and arts festival in the Southern Downs in 2024 hang in the balance, as Southern Downs Regional Council refuses their application for a temporary entertainment event permit. Photo: Garlic Aeolan/Initiation NYE/Facebook

The event’s application for a temporary entertainment permit sparked a divide during the meeting of Southern Downs Regional Council on Wednesday.

After a lengthy debate between councillors it was ultimately decided the application would be refused over a number of location-based safety concerns.

It’s understood tickets for the event have already been purchased and remain on sale, according to the festival’s website.

Concerns were raised over the proposed site at 28 Roona Rd falling within a heavy flood plain, noise monitoring and a perceived lack of consultation with neighbouring landholders.

Councillor Ross Bartley said the high potential for flooding in the area was a major safety issue.

“It’s a highly reactive flood plain, (flooding) can happen overnight and within hours but that place will be underwater and I think for all reasons concerned the flooding would be a major issue,” he said.

The proposed site of the 2024 Initiation NYE festival at 28 Roona Rd, Junabee. Photo: Sundried Events/SafetyCulture

Despite the event organisers having acknowledged this issue in their application, Mr Bartley said unpredictability of the weather made it near impossible to control and plan for.

“If we approve this we will invite a flogging from the community and for just reasons,” he said.

Mayor Melissa Hamilton also shared concern over the campsite’s location in a flood prone area.

“I don’t think it’s possible to condition this, 800 people in a flood plain will be impossible to move out even with alarm systems,” she said.

Ms Hamilton said the risk of liability on council should a patron be seriously injured was simply too great.

“I simply don’t see how we can risk those people, because it’s not going to be on event organisers or the landholder if something happens that results in a loss of life, it will be on this council,” she said.

“Because we’re the ones approving whether or not it is safe and safety is one of the key items we have to consider in this application.

Unlike the Rabbits Eat Lettuce festival which was the first Queensland music festival to implement pill testing, the Initiation NYE event has strictly prohibited illicit substances.

Art and music festival Initiation NYE hosted by Sundried Events has hit a snag in its plans for the festival to take place in the Southern Downs in 2024. Photo: Garlic Aeolan/Initiation NYE/Facebook

Initiation NYE patrons will also be subject to restrictions on the amount of alcohol allowed into the BYO event, with a ‘no pass out policy’ to be enforced.

While the event organisers have acknowledged the closest neighbouring landholder is 1km away and their plan included measures to monitor noise, some councillors felt this was still too close.

Councillors Cynthia McDonald and Joel Richters were among those who felt there was a lack of community consultation by the event organisers.

Traffic management and security measures for Roona Rd and surrounding roads was also raised by councillors Ross Bartley and Russell Wantling.

Mr Richters put forward that conditions could be added to the submission, however all councillors except Ms Harslett, who abstained, voted against the motion to approve the application and resolved to refuse the application for the festival due to its proposed location within the council’s flood overlay.

Warwick Daily News has reached out to Sundried Events for comment.