Following the conclusion of a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) meeting on Monday, popular Australian bush doof Maitreya Festival will not go ahead. VCAT decided to uphold Buloke Shire Council’s decision not to grant organisers a permit.
As Tone Deaf reported last month, Buloke Shire Council did not issue a permit to hold Maitreya Festival after organisers allegedly failed to provide the necessary documentation. Mayor Reid Mather said the decision was made with “great disappointment”.
According to The Age, council claimed organisers did not supply documents including “insurance, security bonds, emergency contingency plans, and agreements with Liquor Licensing and Ambulance Victoria”.
“This finding means a Cultural Heritage Management Plan will be needed in line with council’s previous decision,” a spokesperson for Buloke Shire Council said, definitively stating that the festival would not go ahead.
“The tribunal noted one could not be provided in time for the staging of this year’s event and that an urgent hearing would be futile. The Maitreya Music and Arts Festival cannot go ahead on the forthcoming long weekend.”
The news will no doubt come as a disappointment to locals in Buloke Shire, who rely on the influx of Maitreya punters for an annual injection of cash that Fairfax estimates totals more than $2.5 million.
In an interesting twist on the usual narrative surrounding cancelled music festivals, it was Buloke Shire residents and business owners who campaigned to let the festival proceed, circulating a petition that gathered more than 2,000 signatures.
The festival was originally scheduled for 11th-14th March and at the time of writing, tickets for Maitreya are still on sale, with organisers yet to release an official statement on the VCAT decision.
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“We know you’re waiting to hear from us so wanted to drop by and tell you we’re busy considering the impacts of the VCAT hearing,” organisers wrote on Facebook. “We’ll update you with a formal statement and heaps of further information as soon as we can.”
It’s not clear whether organisers intend to go ahead with the festival at a new location as it’s unlikely they’ll be able to secure a new permit in time. Meanwhile, ticket-holders have already begun requesting refunds.
“So seeming the event looks like it’s not going ahead, when can we can get a refund for all of our tickets?” one disappointed punter wrote on the Maitreya Festival Faceobok page. Stay tuned to Tone Deaf for more details as they develop.
