How a popular bush doof festival became a gastro nightmare — and now faces the axe

“We understand the impact this decision will have on the event organisers, patrons and the local community, and acknowledge their disappointment, but we are also committed to ensuring any event within the shire is safe and compliant”.

Esoteric Music Festival managing director Sam Goldsmith spoke with this masthead and said he was shocked by the “roadblocks” from council and said festival organisers had “absolutely addressed everything to ensure this event will run safely”.

“ We’ve run this festival for eight years – with the exception of 2021 due to COVID-19 – and we’ve always submitted our applications around the same time and it’s usually approved within two to three months,” he said.

Goldsmith said the festival expected between 9000 and 10,000 people and predicted a $15 million injection into the local economy.

Buloke Shire councillors will decide the festival’s fate at a meeting on Monday, March 3, four days before the event is scheduled to begin.

Goldsmith was confident councillors would vote in the festival’s favour.

“If things don’t happen that way, we will address that at the time,” he said.

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