A media spat has erupted between attendees of the allegedly illegal New Year’s Eve Burning Diamond Festival, held over three days at Norris Bend on the Murray River, and the Parks Victoria rangers.
The more than 800 patrons that attended the free festival, which hosted over 60 acts like Suntribe, Harry Blotter, Schumann & Sova and DJ Ego have been criticised by Parks Victoria Murray and Riverine ranger-in-charge Brooke Ryan for hosting an “illegal rave” that disrupted other campers and caused environmental damage.
“I have never seen environmental vandalism like it and the lack of respect for other campers is very disappointing,” Ms. Ryan told the Bendigo Advertiser. “Music has blasted from the speakers for the last three nights, (party-goers) have been alcohol intoxicated,” she continued. She also accused festival goers of walking naked into other people’s camps, urinating everywhere and leaving syringes around the area.
“The behaviour is completely unacceptable,” she said. “They have ruined other people’s New Year’s Eves. Especially considering the great compliance of other people on the river.” Ms Ryan said she believed the event was organised illegally through Facebook and without a permit and was difficult to shut dow. “We contacted Victoria Police to let them know, but of course they were busy with it being New Year’s Eve – their busiest night of the year,” she said.
But event organisers have hit back at these allegations saying that claims of mess, left out syringes and nudity were false. Festival organiser Christian Schumann told the Bendigo Advertiser other campers were responsible for the disruption and mess. “Highly-intoxicated campers outside our group, bullied (us), (and) made us feel uncomfortable and hence disturbed our blissful ceremony to the point where it became unfriendly, even hostile on the main stage,” he said.
Schumann did admit the event had not obtained a permit for the festival and would accept responsibility for that mistake but also affirmed the organisers did work with Victorian Police during the festival to “monitor noise levels and control crowds.”
Watch: Burning Diamond NYE Festival 2013 Trailer
