Earthcore Director Responds To Festival's Noise & Crime Claims

29 December 2017 | 1:29 pm | Staff Writer

Many of the acts pulled out at the last minute due to alleged lack of payment.

The director of the controversy-plagued Earthcore festival has responded to a large amount of criticism regarding noise and crime at last month's events. 

The trance festival was scrutinised after a number of acts cancelled their appearances just days out from the events due to alleged lack of payment and now director Spiro Boursine has spoken out against complaints made during the four-day run. 

According to Bendigo Advertiser, Campaspe Shire Council received a number of noise complaints, however Boursine claims some of the complaints were lodged when no music was playing.

"We did not breach any EPA noise levels," Boursine said.

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"We don’t need to apply for this particular licence, we’ve never applied for an EPA licence of this type for 25 years.

"Not once did… anyone from the council tell us that we required a special licence from the EPA, not once.

"It’s never been said to us, it’s never been said in writing, it’s never been said in person."


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Earthcore was also rocked by a 23-year-old man being charged with two counts of indecent assault and one count of unlawful assault, while police also investigated a report of sexual assault and multiple arrests for drug possession. 

Despite the charges, Boursine said overall the statistics were low given the "massive" police presence on site. 

"Virtually every single person who left that site was breathalysed, you’re talking thousands and thousands of people," he said.

"We had no air lifts, no ambulance trips. We didn’t have any dramas, no drug overdose-related issues at all.

"The crime rate at events like… racing days, B&S balls, all other sorts of events, if they had the same police presence as they had at Earthcore, their stats would be way higher than ours."

While Boursine said he would like Earthcore to return to Elmore in 2018, it was reported earlier this month that the company which owns the festival will fold by year's end.