Snowtunes operators respond to breaches accusations

Operators of the inaugural Snowtunes festival in the snow region at Lake Jindabyne were earlier this week celebrating that 4,000 punters turned out to see a bill including Hermitude, TKAY MAIDZA, Allday, Slumberjack, Kronic and Stacie Todd.

But now, Sydney-based Snowtunes Pty Ltd is denying accusations by the NSW Office of Liquor, Gaming & Racing (OLGR) of “alarming breaches” during the seven-hour event.

The OLGR will pursue regulatory action against Snowtunes Pty Ltd alleging drunken vomiting revellers, and vulnerable children. The festival was marketed as a family-friendly event and drew a reported 100 minors, some of whom were drinking alcohol.

It charges that its "seriously lacking and insufficient" security staff failed to control the crowd, and cites examples of a 13-year-old girl found dazed in the female toilets, and two women needing medical care because they were so drunk they could hardly talk. A 23-year-old man who was struggling to stand and kept dropping his mobile phone allegedly told an OLGR officer that he had been drinking to numb the pain from a broken wrist.

According to the OLGR, festival security was too focussed on fence jumpers to take action against alcohol and safety breaches.

A statement from the festival read: “Snowtunes organisers are shocked that without consultation post event that OLGR have released a statement which contains inaccuracies. Representatives from St Johns, Red Cross Save a Mate, local Police, and Security who were present on the night all provided positive feedback at the cessation of the event.

“Organisers of Snowtunes reiterate that safety and responsible service of alcohol are always our highest priority during any event. The Snowtunes event met all security requirements with a high concentration of qualified personnel.

“Interaction with on-site policing was extremely positive and resulted in the police complimenting the organisers at the conclusion of the event. The Snowtunes organisers are seeking active engagement with OLGR regarding the content of their media release, and will be engaging with the Ombudsman to evaluate the decision taken by OLGR to release this statement without appropriate consultation.

“These issues were not raised with Snowtunes organisers post the event, and the organisers are taking steps to resolve the situation with OLGR by providing all evidence and supporting statements from qualified personnel that stand by Snowtunes in refuting the claims made in this press release. The organisers require OLGR to provide clarity and evidence to support their claims.”

Image: Hermitude performing at SnowTunes