NSW Government Rejects Calls To Consult Industry On Festival Policy: 'Put Up Or Shut Down'

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and her government have reportedly rejected consultation with the Australian music industry in regards to its new festival policy to come into effect on 1 March. 

After meeting with an industry coalition on Wednesday, made up of the Australian Festival Association (AFA),  Live Performance Australia, Music NSW, APRA AMCOS and the Live Music Office, the NSW government has resisted making any changes. 

"Despite the industry’s willingness to work constructively with Government on these issues, the Premier’s approach to the festival industry has been an uncooperative and heavy-handed ‘put up or shut down’," the AFA said in a statement.

"Following a meeting yesterday with advisers, we have been informed the Government will not change its position on the implementation of new licensing rules from next Friday.

"By refusing to consult properly with industry, as opposed to the disorganised and inadequate process it has run to date, the Premier now seems to be determined to shut down some of our best festivals for the sake of a quick media headline.

"The impact of the Government’s badly designed licensing requirements is already being felt with festival operators shutting down events or facing hugely inflated costs almost overnight to meet the Government’s demands.

"Despite statements to the media these changes won’t impact “low risk” festivals, the Government has failed to provide clarity and certainty around its risk categories. It’s a fact that well run festivals with excellent safety records are already being affected by these new guidelines."

The AFA have again called on government to defer the 1 March start date of the festival policy, to help the industry "understand the economic, cultural and operational impacts of the new regulations".

"The festival industry will be stepping up its campaign on this to make people aware of what is at stake for our music industry as well as business and tourism across the state, and will be urging all parties at the upcoming NSW election to support policies which deliver certainty for the future of music festivals in NSW," the statement continues.

"Otherwise, sadly, it looks like NSW will be Australia’s first music festival-free zone."

The news comes just hours before thousands are expected to attend a rally in Sydney to protest the festival policy, with confirmed appearances including Ocean Alley, The Rubens, Julien Hamilton from The Presets and Michael Chugg.