Over 60 NSW artists, festivals and industry organisations have signed an open letter to NSW Premier Glady Berejiklian regarding safety at music festivals following the death of two people at this month's Defqon festival.
Names such as Peking Duk, Thundamentals, Alex The Astronaut, Flight Facilities and KLP, as well as MusicNSW, Bluesfest, Chugg Entertainment, Good Things Festival and St Jerome's Laneway Festival, have called on the Premier to include the music industry in the discussion after Berejiklian announced she will assemble a panel to advise on how to address drug use at festivals.
"We are focused on ensuring live music and entertainment is a positive and safe experience for everyone, and the recent deaths due to drug use are heartbreaking and deeply troubling," the open letter reads.
"The safety and well-being of people attending music festivals is of utmost importance. Our expertise, experience, skills and research can assist you."
The letter continues that placing bans on music festivals "will do very little to curb the impacts of drugs" after Berejiklian ruled out introducing pill testing facilities.
It concludes, "We are the voice of music in NSW. Please do not shut us out of this important part of the discussion. Together we can develop safe, legal, and practical means for ensuring festivals are safer, enjoyable places for all people in NSW".
Read the full letter below.
Dear Premier Berejiklian,
In light of recent events, we have come together to request the NSW Government include music festival representatives on any expert panel established to consider health and safety issues at music festivals.
We are focused on ensuring live music and entertainment is a positive and safe experience for everyone, and the recent deaths due to drug use are heartbreaking and deeply troubling. The safety and well-being of people attending music festivals is of utmost importance. Our expertise, experience, skills and research can assist you.
Music festivals in NSW attract 350,000 attendees a year (LPA 2016). They employ thousands of people, support small businesses and cultural tourism, and provide inclusive spaces for many different communities to come together for a positive experience. They are vital not just to the NSW economy, but also to the social and cultural vibrancy of our cities and towns.
Recreational drug-use occurs in a variety of public settings. Placing bans on music festivals will do very little to curb the impacts of drugs on our communities but may push festival-goers to less safe spaces that are harder to regulate, manage or control.
Any attempt to address concerns about drug use and public safety at music festivals cannot be effective unless music industry representatives are part of the conversation. We already work collaboratively and successfully with numerous state and local authorities and we request that this collaboration extends to participation in, and consultation with, the NSW Government’s ‘Ensuring Safety at Music Festivals’ panel.
We also request that any expert panel meet with the following in order to work together on an effective, strategic and collaborative approach to festival safety;
- music industry representatives
- health and safety specialists
- experts in drug research and policy development
We are the voice of music in NSW. Please do not shut us out of this important part of the discussion. Together we can develop safe, legal, and practical means for ensuring festivals are safer, enjoyable places for all people in NSW.
Regards,
MusicNSW
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