The new regulations for Music Festivals are arbitrary and threaten the future of all live music in NSW.
LPA’s Chief Executive, Evelyn Richardson said, “These new regulations imposed by government without any consultation reflect a government that has no strategy for supporting live music in NSW, sending a signal to every live music promoter and festival organiser that doing business in NSW is fraught with danger and subject to the whims of the Premier’s office. Clearly, this will be a major issue at the upcoming election.
“As it stands any festival can be added to the high-risk category at any time. All but one of the events targeted have proceeded with police consent previously so it seems any event can now be arbitrarily deemed “high risk” by government at any time and added to the list.
“Of those on the list some of them don’t meet the stated criteria. This includes ‘Laneway’ and ‘Up Down’, a completely new festival yet to be presented in March 2019. ‘This That’ found out they were rated a ‘high risk’ event after media outlets contacted them. Yet only a few months ago they were singled out for praise by Newcastle police. [Police Praise This That & Scene And Heard Festival Crowds, Despite Some Drug Incidents
