Melton and Moorabool residents wanting to enjoy music festivals this summer are being issued a warning.
UNSW senior lecturer in criminology Dr Phillip Wadds says he is concerned that a number of factors are combining that heighten the risk of harms.
“There is real concern where you have a group of young people going to their first major events after being contained for a really long time, and then you’ve got everyone else who haven’t really experienced a full festival season in years,” Dr Wadds said.
“On top of this, the sector has faced major issues relating to their staffing – with many experienced staff and managers leaving the industry during the COVID years, taking a whole lot of professional and life experience with them.
“Post-pandemic, staffing hasn’t returned to anywhere near the number that the sector needs.”
Dr Wadds says in light of this, extra care needs to be taken by not only staff, but festivalgoers themselves to ensure a smooth and safe return to events.
“The reality is that we need everyone at a festival event to be part of improving safety and reducing harm – from patrons, staff, security and those working in medical and support roles,” he said.
“We need staff to know what to do if and when something is reported to them, we need security to know what to look out for and to intervene early and pro-socially, and we need patrons to look out for one another.
“While most people who attend events have a great time free from issues, unfortunately festival events can be, and often are, the site of significant harms, including those relating to excess drinking and drug use and sexual assault.”
