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Publish date: 6 March 2025
The Buloke Shire Council voted to approve a one year planning permit for the 2025 Esoteric Music Festival to be held in Donald from 6 to 11 March 2025, at a meeting last Monday night. The permit was granted, against the Council officers’ recommendation, and was subject to 47 conditions.
Whilst a planning permit has been granted, the festival’s application for a Place of Public Entertainment (POPE-OP) was refused by the Council’s Municipal Building Surveyor on Tuesday, who cited 33 grounds of refusal.
The POPE-OP is a requirement under the Building Act 1993 and is not a decision that can be overturned by Councillors.
The decision to refuse the POPE-OP aligns with the concerns raised by Council officers in their recommendation to refuse the planning permit application. These include ongoing safety and compliance concerns as well as the lack of adherence to last year’s POPE-OP.
The Event organisers made an appeal to the Minister of Housing and Building, the Hon Harriet Shing, to overturn the decision. The appeal was unsuccessful with the State Building Surveyor, supporting the Council’s decision to refuse to issue a POPE-OP.
With the POPE-OP application refused, the event organisers have been advised to cancel the event. Ticket holders are advised that the event does not have the required approvals.
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