UDPATE 3.30pm: Loddon Shire mayor Neil Beattie said councillors voted to knock back the permit after a number of non-compliance issues at the 2016 event.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
He said there were many reasons why they did not issue the permit this year, including safety concerns, drug use, camping and parking issues, trespassing and rubbish removal.
"The police report was damning from last year," he said.
Victoria Police was one of seven objectors to the 2017 event, with five neighbouring land owners also lodging objections and the Department of Economic Development, Jobs Transport and Resources.
Cr Beattie said the site wasn't appropriate for a music festival.
"The lateness of the application has also put officers under huge pressure."
EARLIER: The future of a music festival planned for northern Victoria next month is in doubt after organisers’ request for a planning permit was refused.
The Yemaya Festival was due to be held from April 21 to 24 on a property in Fernihurst, north of Serpentine.
It is described as ‘four mesmerising days and three luminescent nights of sensory enchantment, showcasing a tremendous calibre of music production talent amidst an abundance of psychedelic art’.
The Loddon Shire knocked back the planning permit at its ordinary meeting this week, saying any economic benefit brought to the municipality was outweighed by the potential risk to community safety and amenity.
A Facebook post on the event’s page said contingency plans for the festival were being considered, including a change of date.
“We still have great faith that we can overcome the last few obstacles to the permit and are doing everything in our power to save our hopes and dreams alongside, we suspect, quite a few of yours,” the post reads.
“Please be assured that our intentions are only sincere, and know that ticket refunds will be available if the festival circumstances change significantly.”
In 2016 the nearby Maitreya Festival was cancelled after it was refused permits by the Buloke Shire. That festival was due to be held at Wooroonook Lakes, about an hour’s drive from Fernihurst.
The Buloke Shire this year threw its support behind a new ‘bush doof’ in Donald, Esoteric, held over the recent Labour Day weekend.
The Loddon Shire said in a statement that its decision regarding Yemaya was because the applicant had not adequately addressed concerns relating to trespass, noise, noxious weeds and traffic management.
The council heard submissions from applicant Eugene Apter from UE Industries and nearby landowners who objected to the proposal.
The Loddon Shire said it was also concerned that the applicant had not yet obtained relevant approvals from Dja Dja Wurrung under the Aboriginal Heritage Act (2006) and the Environment Protection Authority.