Support Thrown Behind Groovin The Moo To Host Pill Testing Trial

Calls for Groovin The Moo to host a pill testing trial at its ACT event next month have been backed by the University of Canberra. 

As ABC reports, the music festival will take place on the university grounds and a spokeswoman said they would support the trial. 

"The University of Canberra is open to supporting a pill testing trial at a festival held on university grounds, providing the main stakeholders and relevant authorities are all in agreement," the spokeswoman said in a statement.

The Music has contacted Groovin The Moo PR for comment. 

read more:

• SPECIAL REPORT: What Exactly Happened With Aussie Fest Spilt Milk's Failed Pill Testing Trial?
• Pill Testing Advocate Suggests Spilt Milk Festival Trial Axed Due To Pressure On Promoter
• Royal Blood, Paul Kelly, Duke Dumont, Vera Blue & More Lead Groovin The Moo Line-up

The calls come after plans for a trial at Canberra's Spilt Milk festival last year were axed just weeks out.

Speaking to The Music in a special report last year,  Dr David Caldicott, who has been conducting pill testing at music events since the early 2000s, believes that the trial was called off after a meeting took place between Spilt Milk promoters and the National Capital Authority in October. 

"I think on the week of the 10th of October, there was a big meeting, I think on Wednesday the 11th between the promoter and the National Capital Authority and at that meeting, we've been led to believe that the National Capital Authority advised the promoter that they would not get a licence to conduct Spilt Milk with an application of pill testing," Caldicott said.

"We had provided all of the documentation that was required, not just for the ACT government to persuade them but also the Australian Federal Police, so the documentation that we had provided to everybody was extensive.

"The promoter was involved in all of the planning phases and therefore had access to all of the documentation, and then on the Thursday announced on radio, without consulting with us, that he didn't have all the documentation he needed, so we didn't know anything about it."

This year's Groovin The Moo festival will include sets from the likes of Royal Blood, Paul Kelly, Alex Lahey, The Amity Affliction and more; click on theGuide for more details.