BASSINTHEGRASS 2025: NT government, Labor united on pill testing stance

The government says it has no current plans to introduce pill testing ahead of the Top End’s biggest music festival in May, however suggested that “nothing is off the table”. Read the details.

Pill testing facilities at Beyond The Valley. Picture: Alison Wynd

Major Events Minister Marie-Clare Boothby says the government has no current plans to introduce pill testing ahead of the Top End’s biggest music festival in May, however suggested that “nothing is off the table”.

Her response comes almost a week after Northern Territory Health issued a public health warning for nitazenes, a deadly synthetic opioid up to 500 times stronger than heroin.

The discovery has renewed conversations surrounding pill testing, otherwise known as drug testing, which was ruled out by the then Labor government before last year’s BASSINTHEGRASS event because of “insufficient evidence”.

Pill testing is the chemical analysis of illicit or unknown substances to inform the owner of what is in a substance before they use it, alert other users to possible dangers in the supply or find out why a drug led to a certain reaction.

Minister Marie-Clare Boothby at the preview event to BASSINTHEGRASS 2025 at Raintree Park 13/02/2025. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Asked if the CLP government would consider pill testing – which has been offered at music events in the ACT since 2018 – Ms Boothby said there were presently “no plans” to introduce it.

“But we are looking at this objectively and nothing is off the table when it comes to keeping Territorians safe” she said.

“In the meantime, this event is well organised and has a solid and longstanding track record of being a safe and fun festival.”

In a rare moment of political unification, Opposition Leader Selena Uibo, who last year as health minister ruled out pill testing at BASSINTHEGRASS, also doubled down on her previous stance.

“The conversation around pill testing must be guided by the evidence, not politics or popularity,” she said.

“If the evidence demonstrates that pill testing helps achieve this, then we should be open to it.”

Originally published as BASSINTHEGRASS 2025: NT government, Labor united on pill testing stance