QLD Music Festival Refused Permit By Council Following Two Deaths At Sister Event

Queensland festival Bohemian Beatfreaks, organised by the same events company responsible for Rabbits Eat Lettuce, has had its permit application refused by the local council.

Two young festival-goers were found dead on the last day of the Rabbits Eat Lettuce festival in April. The deaths of Ebony Greening, 22, and Dassarn Tarbutt, 24, acted as a catalyst for Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to send a QLD Health official to examine the ACT’s pill testing trial.

A spokesperson for Bohemian Beatfreaks told Pedestrian TV that organisers had been anticipating issues with the Cherrabah venue permit since June. They said the refusal of the festival’s permit could see the Southern Downs Region miss out on an injection of $1,700,000 from event expenditure and visitor spending.

Organisers also allege senior Queensland Police officials had pressured the council to not issue the permit.

“Through the entire permit process our event management, emergency resources, safety plans and contractors have not been faulted or pulled into question by council or police. The permit was rejected on seemingly emotional abstract grounds,” said the spokesperson.

We run one of the safest festival environments in the country. Some of our safety initiatives include registered paramedics, an event doctor & a fully equipped medical facility onsite. We also have drug & alcohol councillors, chill out areas and rovers which move around the event area checking on patrons.

Southern Downs Regional Council Mayor Tracy Dobie said in a statement on Wednesday that Rabbits Eat Lettuce had not provided sufficient measures to meet safety standards.

“Should the organisers take measures to meet these concerns surrounding safety and strain upon local police there is no reason that future event applications should not be submitted,” she said.

Mayor Dobie said she had been told by assistant commissioner Mike Condon that the festival would be an excessive strain on local law enforcement.

A replacement venue for Bohemian Beatfreaks has already been located and will be announced in September.

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