Music Festival safety will be greatly improved with the implementation of the expert panel recommendations. 

The NSW Government announced that new licensing regime and laws will be introduced to improve safety at music festivals. 

Premier Gladys Berejiklian convened the expert panel following the tragic deaths of two young people who attended the Defqon.1 festival in September 2018.

Following the expert panel’s recommendations, the Government will introduce a new specific and consistent licensing regime to improve safety and provide certainty for the music festival industry and other stakeholders. 

Also, in order to target drug suppliers, the Government will introduce a new offence that will hold drug dealers responsible for deaths they cause and conduct trials of on-the-spot fines for drug possession at music festivals. 

“Drug dealers who prey on our young people, and seek to profit by peddling illicit substances at music festivals, are on notice,” Ms Berejiklian said.

Moreover, drug and alcohol education will be further strengthened and extra support will be provided to frontline health workers at music festivals. 

“Music festivals are a significant part of NSW’s entertainment scene, and an important part of our economy - but we owe it to young people, and their parents and families, to make sure they are safe,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“The new licensing regime we are introducing, combined with better regulatory coordination, will ensure that events with a poor track record and heightened risk will face greater oversight from the authorities.”

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