Landowner Of Unauthorised Bush Rave Where Attendee Died Fined Just $3000

17 June 2016 | 9:34 am | Staff Writer

Fallout continues from bush doof.

The person who staged the unauthorised Omega Festival in NSW last weekend has been fined just $3000 for hosting the event where a 24-year-old man died from a suspected drug overdose

According to Daily Mail, Clarence Valley Council issued the fine to the landowner in what is reportedly the maximum possible fine that can be given for holding an unauthorised event. 

"We will not allow people to flout rules that govern people's safety," council general manager Scott Greensill said in a statement.

"If landowners think they can host illegal events like this without penalty they are completely misguided."

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The festival was originally slated to take place on an Aboriginal reserve at Jubullum Village at Tubulam, but promoters were forced to relocate last minute after failing to obtain the correct permits from Clarence Valley Council.

The fine comes just days after it was revealed David Gallagher lay dead in his car for 12 hours as the festival continued only 200 metres from where his vehicle was parked.

It is believed Gallagher died after consuming a cocktail of drugs. 

Greensill said any landowner who is approached by festival organisers to stage an event should contact police.

"We make no apology for what some might consider a heavy-handed approach," Greensill said.

"A young person who attended this latest festival is dead and their family grieving."

Police slammed organisers this week for allowing the rave to continue knowing that an attendee had died. 

"These events and the operators see these kids as dollars signs on their foreheads and in doing so they place huge risk on these kids lives," Coffs-Clarence Local Area Command Detective Inspector Darren Jameson said.