Another Threat to Music Festivals !

That controversial music festival license law implemented in New South Wales got a good test at the weekend.  Big crowds attended the Midnight Mafia festival at Olympic Park and there was both a big police presence and plenty of paramedics and helpers to monitor the health of music lovers.

Thirty-two people were charged with drug possession and the search of a car parked near the festival entrance involved the seizure of over fifty MDMA tablets.   One hundred and sixty five patrons sought medical treatment at the event - and there were no deaths.

That seems to prove that a combination of police searching for drugs entering music festivals and a big medical presence to deal with overdoses is the right combination safety factor.  The fact that big crowds continue to go to festivals now that the new law is in place disproves the claim that festivals will no longer be held in this state.

But is seems that there is a threat to end this new law in the upper house of the NSW parliament. Labor's shadow minister for music has signalled a disallowance motion which would effectively rescind the regulatory scheme.  It would go back to the drawing board and we would once again put the future of music festivals at risk.

It seems that the new makeup of the upper house has that chamber eager to test its muscle.  Labor will need at least seven of the eleven member crossbench to cross the floor and support it to gain that  objective and that could be an interesting mix of political reality.

They say the likely grouping would include two from the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party, two from One  Nation and one Christian Democrat..    They would also need one vote from the Conservative block comprising three Greens MP's, Two Animal Justice part MP"s and Independent Justin Field. Somehow that tally seems to come up one short.

The most likely outcome would be to again bring the issue of drug testing to the fore.  That does not form part of the present music festival legislation and many think it delivers a false sense of security because drugs can be given only a cursory safety probe with the limited equipment  available outside a laboratory.

The other factor is the determination of fans to gain a drug " high " which enhances the euphoria delivered by music.  Despite the threat of a prison sentence crowds at music festivals either bring their own drugs or are eager buyers for the pushers circulating in the crowd.   At least the present regulation  caters for reality by providing medical treatment on site to save lives.

The gains we have achieved could easily be lost if we endlessly search for a form of safety that is clearly unobtainable