Rabbits Eat Lettuce festival one step closer to permanent Southern Downs site

A major electronic music festival has applied to Southern Downs Regional Council for a permanent site to host events with crowds of up to 10,000. DETAILS.

The first music festival in Queensland to implement pill testing at its 2024 event has now applied for a permanent site on the Southern Downs.

The festival announced in July that after “months of negotiations” they had reached an agreement for a ten year venue contract for a “permanent home” at the breathtaking and expansive Elbow Valley site.

For more than a decade the four day electronic music festival has captivated audiences, sparking controversy in 2019 after two patrons were found dead in their tent at the Elbow Valley site.

When news first broke of the festival’s intention to make the Southern Downs its home, councillor Morwenna Harslett told Warwick Daily News council would be happy to work with the festival again.

Rabbits Eat Lettuce could be calling the Southern Downs home for the next decade (Photo: supplied)

“The reports that we got from the ground was that the festival did what was asked of them, and did it with good grace, I personally would not have any qualms with approving their application,” Ms Harslett said.

“In saying that we would need to see what they are putting in their application, what their plans are for the future. Council also has some recommendations for them as well.”

The development application submitted by Urban Planning Precinct in September proposes to host multiple music and arts festivals at the site for up to 12 days each year.

REL Events PTY LTD has submitted a development application for a proposed permanent Music, Arts & Entertainment site in Elbow Valley. Photo: REL Events PTY LTD

According to the proposal it’s anticipated for up to 10,000 people to attend any event held at the site, noting the 2024 Rabbits Eat Lettuce festival attracted around 4000.

It’s understood the development has anticipated 69 full time employment opportunities for the Southern Downs LGA and 88 in the Darling Downs in year four of the 10-year contract.

The proposal also estimates a total output of $12.7m in the Southern Downs and $13.4m in the Darling Downs.

The site is proposed to include temporary camping and entertainment structures, with the development identifying no threat to existing vegetation.

Following a traffic assessment of the area in the lead up to this year’s festival, the proposal identified implementing a temporary speed limit change on Keoghs Rd to 60km/h.

The proposal also suggested speed limit changes on Old Stanthorpe Rd, Cullendore Rd and in the vicinity of the O’Deas Rd intersections to ensure the safety of all road users.

Local traffic only signage has also been proposed at each end of Church Lane.

Under local law organisers will still be required to apply for a temporary entertainment event permit for each event, regardless of whether the pending development application is approved.

At the 2024 event police revealed there were more than 100 alleged offences, with a total of 78 alleged drug drivers detected and charged with driving with a relevant drug in their system.

Health authorities released data from Queensland’s first pill testing site, which uncovered a high-risk substance first detected by another drug testing service in Canberra.

Delivered by Pill Testing Australia, the service saw 257 festival goers visit the drug checking tent over four days and that out of the 210 samples provided for testing by qualified chemists, about 14 samples were discarded.

Two high-risk substances were detected during the testing, including dimethylpentylone (a synthetic cathinone) and 2-fluoro-2-oxo-phenylcyclohexylethylamine, which were both mis-sold as other substances.

Originally published as Rabbits Eat Lettuce festival one step closer to permanent Southern Downs site