Organisers of a popular north-east Victorian music festival have been forced to cancel the event just days before it was due to begin, after a permit dispute with the local council.<\/p>\n
The Folk, Rhythm and Life (FRL) festival was due to kick off on Friday at the Bilyana Natural Amphitheatre in Eldorado, near Wangaratta.<\/p>\n
But organisers said parking and fire safety concerns had forced them to cancel the three-day event and refund 530 tickets valued at $110,000.<\/p>\n
Festival director Hamish Skermer said he sought to amend the permit conditions to allow onsite parking and had flagged that with the Rural City of Wangaratta months in advance.<\/p>\n Hamish Skermer has been co-directing the festival for almost 30 years. (Supplied: Hamish Skermer<\/span>)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n “I was told that because I nominated to change from offsite parking to onsite parking on November 10, I hadn’t given them enough time,” he said.<\/p>\n “However, I was able to supply documentary evidence that I’d been raising it as a distinct option since September 15.”<\/p>\n Rural City of Wangaratta Mayor Irene Grant said the changes were submitted too late for proper assessment.<\/p>\n “All I can say at this stage is that we’re working through the permit conditions,”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Cr Grant said.<\/span><\/div>\n “Some of the conditions had been changed at a late stage, so we need to work through those and ensure whatever needs to be in place is in place.”<\/p>\n Archie Roach played at the Folk, Rhythm and Life music festival in Eldorado before he died in 2022. (Supplied: Hamish Skermer<\/span>)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n Mr Skermer said he believed the parking issue was not the only factor.<\/p>\n He said concerns raised by the Country Fire Authority (CFA) may also have influenced the council’s decision, despite the fire authority not attending the site.<\/p>\n “In fact, we’ve been cut out by the CFA, who’ve written to us and said they will not engage with us at all,” Mr Skermer said.<\/p>\n CFA Assistant Chief Fire Officer Stewart Kreltszheim confirmed the CFA had provided advice to council about the festival’s event management plan, off the back of similar concerns in 2023.<\/a><\/p>\n “CFA raised concerns about details relating to fires, emergency access and crowd safety, particularly during the Fire Danger Period,” he said.<\/p>\n “While emergency services do not issue event permits, our advice is always based on the protection of human life.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n “We commend the Rural City of Wangaratta for making a difficult decision in the interest of public safety.”<\/p>\n Mr Skermer said the cancellation of the event, which had been running since 1996, would have a significant impact on the local economy.<\/p>\n “All the caterers, buses and supply chains \u2014 that’s money no longer being spent in Wangaratta and surrounds,” he said.<\/p>\n “It’s a huge injection of cash into the community that meets all the requirements of tourism development, and quite frankly it really is a disgrace.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>
Festival fire safety<\/h2>\n