Defqon.1: Penrith residents divided over calls for festival to be banned
IT APPEARS Defqon. 1 will no longer be held in Penrith after the fallout from the death of two people at the festival on the weekend continues, but local residents are divided over the issue with many saying honest punters are losing out.
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PENRITH residents are divided over the future of the Defqon. 1 dance music festival as senior political figures pledge to ban the event following the death of two young people on Saturday.
Joseph Pham, 23 and a Victorian woman, 21, died at Nepean Hospital after collapsing at the event at the Sydney International Regatta Centre on Saturday night.
Three other people, including a woman, 26, from Jamisontown, remain in hospital in a critical condition.
It appears the event will no longer be hosted in Penrith but the issue has proved divisive with locals, with a poll on the Penrith Press’ Facebook page attracting more than 1100 votes on Monday afternoon, with the votes split almost evenly.
The slim majority, about 53 per cent of people, said they believed the festival should be banned or moved from Penrith.
“Good riddance to this whole event and scene,” resident Safet Sulic said.
Some opponents to the event called moving it a “no-brainer”.
“You will never stop all the drugs that end up in the event so stop the event and let it be held somewhere else, (it is) giving Penrith a bad name,” Robert Paterson said.
Many other residents did not agree, however, with some calling for pill testing to be introduced at future events as a “harm minimisation” strategy.
“It’s stupid to think cancellation of an event like Defqon will stop drug use, drugs will always be available and used no matter where it is or when,” resident Michael Hoar said.
Sue Brice said: “So once again we punish the majority that do it right and were behaving themselves and having a good time because of a small minority. Seems the way we do things today.”
With more than 30,000 people attending Saturday’s event, it is one of Penrith’s biggest tourist drawcards.
A spokesman for Penrith Council extended its “deepest sympathies to the families and friends impacted at this time” and said as an approval autority it had put organisers through “rigorous” preparation and precautionary measures to ensure a “safe and drug-free event”.
“It is disappointing that despite this extensive preparation, drug related incidents occurred on the night due to a number of people choosing to do the wrong thing,” he said.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Sunday vowed to put and end to the controversial festival, sighting a sordid history of deaths and alleged criminal activity.
“I never want to see this event held in Sydney or New South Wales ever again — we will do everything we can to shut this down,” Ms Berejiklian said.
Police said 700 people received treatment from medical staff, and 13 people attended Nepean Hospital for treatment for drug-related illnesses. Police charged 10 people for drug supply offences and 69 people were allegedly found in possession of illicit substances.
Minister for Western Sydney and Penrith state Liberal MP Stuart Ayres took to Facebook on Sunday to announce that the regatta centre — which has hosted the event since 2009 — “will not be hosting Defqon. 1 into the future”.
“I no longer believe this event is suitable for the Sydney International Regatta Centre and therefore will not make the venue available for Defqon. 1 into the future,” he said.
Ms Berejiklian ruled out pill testing saying it gave “a green light” to take illegal drugs.
In a statement, a spokesman for the organisers of Defqon. 1 said they were “deeply saddened” by the events of Saturday and passed condolences on to the families of those who died.
“We are disappointed at the number of reported drug-related incidents, we have a zero-tolerance policy in relation to drug use at the festival,” the spokesman said.