NSW music festival regulations scrapped in state parliament
New licensing regulations placed on the music festival industry have been binned just six months after they came into effect after Labor, the Greens and the Shooters united behind a disallowance motion in parliament.
NSW
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Labor, the Greens and the Shooters have conspired to overturn the Berejiklian government’s contentious regulations on music festivals in a move the Premier says will “put thousands of lives at risk”.
The regulations — imposing strict licensing conditions on festival operators — were introduced in March this year after a series of drug-related deaths over summer.
But they have been blamed for multiple festivals in NSW being forced to cancel with operators saying they could not afford additional costs associated with the scheme.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said it was “utterly reckless” to throw out the regulations ahead of the summer festival season.
“This action will result in an immediate end to the regulations, putting thousands of lives at risk as we come into the summer music festival season,” she told The Daily Telegraph.
“We absolutely do not want to see a repeat of what happened last summer.”
“But this irresponsible action means police, paramedics, nurses and doctors will be left to pick up the pieces.”
Labor’s spokesman for music John Graham moved the disallowance motion to remove the regulations in the upper house after an hour-and-a-half of heated debate.
It was passed 21-18.
Under the regulations, festivals categorised as being “high risk” are forced to apply for a special liquor licence approved by experts and meet a checklist of health and safety requirements.
While 14 festivals determined to be “high risk” were initially required to obtain the licence, it’s understood the regulation was only applied to 11.
Mr Graham said NSW Health guidelines to make festivals safer — currently only applied through the regulations to “high risk” events — should be expanded.
“They should apply to more than just 11 music festivals in NSW,” he said.
“Labor calls on the music festival industry and the Government to work together to implement updated rules in time for the upcoming summer festival season.”
Labor also wants medical providers at music festivals to be registered and required to state they will abide by the NSW Health guidelines.
Greens MLC Cate Faehrmann said it was clear “many key stakeholders, including music festival operators themselves, had not been genuinely consulted about these changes”.
“This has been a rushed and botched process, particularly when the Premier ruled out the consideration of pill testing from the start,” she said.
“This is a good decision and means the Government must now actually consult with (them).”
The peak body for Australia’s live performance industry welcomed the disallowance of the “rushed” festival regulations.
“The Government can now sit down with the industry for some constructive consultation on ways to improve patron safety at music festivals, including steps to reduce drug-related harm,” Live Performance Australia chief executive Evelyn Richardson said.
“From the outset, we have repeatedly expressed our strong desire to work collaboratively with government on our shared commitment to safer festivals.”
Organisers of the popular Mountain Sounds and Psyfari festivals cancelled their events earlier this year over the “impossible” restrictions.
The scrapping of the regulations will force the NSW government to go back to the drawing board and begin further consultations with the music industry.