Rabbits Eat Lettuce festival organiser pleads with Southern Downs council over approval of event permit application

Rabbits may not be eating lettuce on the Southern Downs this Easter long weekend as the popular festival’s organiser pleads with council to approve a pending application. FULL STORY.

Rabbits Eat Lettuce 2025 event is hanging in the balance as it waits for Southern Downs Regional Council's approval.

A popular Southern Downs music festival is at risk of having its upcoming event postponed as it continues to wait for approval from the regional council.

Music and arts festival Rabbits Eat Lettuce could see its iconic Easter long weekend event at Cherrabah Resort pushed back, with the events organiser blaming ‘political roadblocks’.

The event received a major blow last month when Southern Downs Regional Council refused an application for the festival to expand across 12 days each year, citing incompatibility with the amenity in the rural zone, emergency management, environmental impact and community safety concerns as drivers.

Annual EDM festival Rabbits Eat Lettuce is at risk of being postponed in 2025 as it continues to wait for council's approval. Photo: Supplied

The vote was initially hung, with councillors Cynthia McDonald, Ross Bartley, Russell Wantling and mayor Melissa Hamilton opposing the application, with the remaining councillors Morwenna Harslett, Sheryl Windle, Carla Pidgeon and Sarah Deane in support.

Ms Hamilton exercised her casting vote to refuse the application.

With just over a month until the event is scheduled to go ahead, festival organiser Erik Lamir has released a statement pleading with council to make a decision on the temporary entertainment event permit at the next meeting on March 19.

“The fate of this year’s festival now rests squarely in the hands of the Southern Downs councillors, which are yet to add the REL Temporary Entertainment Event Permit application to the meeting agenda for discussion and a vote at their next council meeting,” the statement said.

“REL 2025 has support from QLD Police, QLD Ambulance and QLD Fire Department for the festival and is otherwise ready to proceed at Cherrabah Resort.

“Festival organisers have been exploring all options to deliver REL 2025 and have expressed concerns that SDRC has failed to follow due process due to political influences.”

Rabbits Eat Lettuce festival organiser Erik Lamir.

This year’s festival has already exceeded ticket sale expectations with the event almost completely sold out, according to the statement.

“The possible postponement is even more disappointing given that ticket sales for REL 2025 are the strongest they have ever been, with this year’s festival on track to be a sellout event and the most successful edition to date, despite the tough market conditions faced by the festival industry,” the statement said.

“We urge the Southern Downs Regional Councillors and Mayor to recognise the significance of their upcoming decision. The responsibility for ensuring that REL 2025 proceeds as planned now lies entirely in their hands.

“If the matter is not added to the March 19 agenda, they will be responsible for blocking a $3m Easter injection into the local Warwick economy.”

In response to the festival’s concerns, Southern Downs mayor Melissa Hamilton said council would not publicly comment on next week’s meeting agenda.

“At the Ordinary Council Meeting on Wednesday 19 February 2025, councillors considered a Development Application for the expansion of the Rabbits Eat Lettuce event. Council took a long time and a lot of effort to properly consider the application,” Ms Hamilton said in a statement.

“We held two separate councillor information sessions to hear from both the applicant and the opposing submitters. We heard the community concerns.

“We have taken expert legal advice in relation to both the development application and the applications for a temporary event permit.”

Ms Hamilton said council listened to the concerns of Elbow Valley residents and chose to back the community in making their decision on the development application.

“The vast majority of the Elbow Valley community were opposed to the development application,” Ms Hamilton said.

“While supporters of the festival list its attractions as having “a strong sense of community”, they ignore the community most impacted by this festival. Our Council thought it was imperative that their voices were heard.”

Originally published as Rabbits Eat Lettuce festival organiser pleads with Southern Downs council over approval of event permit application