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    Organisers of Moyston’s Pitch Music and Arts Festival say this year’s event will proceed safely.

Pitch organisers plan safer festival

By Colin MacGillivray

Organisers of Moyston’s Pitch Music and Arts Festival say this year’s event will proceed safely after extreme heat and poor organisation saw the festival abandoned midway through its five-day runtime in March last year.

Attendees at last year’s festival reported several cases of heatstroke, exacerbated by allegedly inadequate staffing levels and a lack of organisation.

The event had been scheduled to run from March 8 to 12, but was abandoned on March 10, leaving many festivalgoers confused.



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A 23-year-old man later died in hospital from a suspected drug overdose suffered at the festival.

Despite the chaos of last year, festival organisers insisted this year’s festival, scheduled from March 7 to 11, would be safe.

“We have been working closely with the local CFA, community members and other relevant authorities to ensure the festival not only proceeds safely, but also aligns with the wishes of those who call this region home,” organisers said in a statement on the festival’s website.

“The recent fires in the area have reduced the fuel load in the area, which minimises the risk of further fires in the near future.

“We will, of course, continue to liaise closely with all relevant parties as the event approaches.”

Organisers said they had engaged a bushfire behavioural specialist to contribute to the event’s emergency management plans in response to last year’s ‘unprecedented conditions’.

They said they would also provide improved wi-fi coverage and a campground speaker system in an attempt to ensure clearer communication with patrons.

“We’ve been dedicating our efforts to elevating our on ground communication processes to a higher standard, ensuring essential information flows accurately and effectively between our staff and people of Pitch,” they said. Organisers said they would also increase harm-reduction initiatives and boost staffing numbers at helper hubs.

Pitch organisers did not respond to The Weekly Advertiser’s requests for further comment.

Ararat Rural City Council chief executive Tim Harrison said the council was working to ensure this year’s festival minimised patron risk.

“Council is working closely with event organisers and other relevant authorities including the CFA, Ambulance Victoria, the Department of Health and Victoria Police to ensure community support and safety for the event,” he said.

“This event will not only benefit our local economy but also provide a means for attendees to directly support bushfire-affected communities.”

Drug testing 

The State Government last week announced a mobile drug-testing facility would appear at Pitch this year as part of a trial program aiming to reduce drug-related harm at festivals. The government began the drug-testing trial at December’s Beyond the Valley Festival following a rise in drug harm last year, including the death of a Pitch attendee.

The government said nearly 40 per cent of patrons who used the service said they would use a smaller amount of their drugs following their discussion with a healthcare worker, while one in six people discarded their drugs after having them tested.

Mental Health Minister Ingrid Stitt said the service was operated by The Loop and Harm Reduction Victoria, in partnership with Youth Support and Advocacy Service.

“Following a spike in drug harm last festival season, this service is more important than ever – it offers a sensible health-led approach that will save the lives of young Victorian festivalgoers,” she said.

“The results from Beyond the Valley speak for themselves: pill testing does not encourage people to use drugs. It allows people to see what’s really in their substances and make informed health decisions.”

Pitch organisers said consultation with the Moyston community showed a majority of residents wanted the festival to continue in the area.

“The overwhelming response has been a resounding endorsement for Pitch to remain at our home in Moyston – not only for the vital economic uplift it provides to the region but also for the positive impact it has on the spirit of the community,” they said.

“This year we’ll be amplifying our support and giving back to the valued community who has welcomed us over the past seven years.

“This will include direct donations to recovery initiatives BlazeAid and Need For Feed, as well as the CFA.

“We will also contribute $1 for every item sold at the community barbecue towards these organisations. We encourage all patrons to purchase from the community barbecue during their time at Pitch.”

The entire February 5, 2025 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!