We’re all in agreement that the organisers of Falls Festival managed to pull off an incredible feat last month, yeah? While we were all pigging out on Christmas Day feasts, they were working.
What’s more they were working on securing a new venue for the sold-out Lorne leg of their annual festival after it became high-risk due to bush fires in the area.
Organisers managed to get the news out to punters and put on an incredible event in the surrounds of the Mt Duneed estate near Torquay, even raising money for bush fire victims whilst there.
But how did Falls Festival punters repay them? By leaving an awful mess for them to clean up. Now the punters are under fire from the local community and environmental groups.
As the Geelong Advertiser reports, punters are being slammed for simply walking away from their campsites and leaving the Mt Duneed paddocks strewn with rubbish and detritus.
Punters reportedly left tents, chairs, gazebos, mattresses, clothes, and general waste in what one environmental expert called an example of an “indulged and entitled” generation.
Though police generally praised the behaviour of punters, a Geelong Sustainability Group member said it was a “disgusting indictment of the disconnect people have with their environment”.
“Is this how you repay and show your gratitude?” wrote one Advertiser reader. “Tents and rubbish blown up against fences, into olive groves, down through neighbouring paddocks and into dams where drought-affected sheep try to drink, making its way to the highway and beyond.”
“An example of an ‘indulged and entitled’ generation…”Vicki Perrett of Geelong Sustainability told the Addy, “People have moved heaven and earth to make this festival go ahead and it’s really such a shame people have responded in this way.”
Workers have been busy cleaning up the area, including refugees from Diversitat’s Green Team, whom the organisation’s CEO said were “totally surprised” by the amount of rubbish left behind.
“It’s an eye-opener for them about how different people’s lives are here, how much wealth we take for granted,” said Diversitat’s Michael Martinez. “These people can’t even afford these things in the first place.”
“Despite the last minute change of venue, we have been able to maintain the amazing results we normally generate on our permanent site,” a Falls Festival spokesperson told Tone Deaf.
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“Through our strong commitment to waste management, and a super team effort, the Falls Festival will once again produce positive results with regard to our waste streams.”
“We have been able to do everything we do at the Lorne show here at our temporary venue with virtually the same results, and in fact in some cases even better.”
“I am happy to report that by the end of today, we will have virtually all the camp grounds and the arena rubbish bagged and ready to be taken offsite.”
“We are still recycling and I expect to go very close to last years total of nearly 57 tonne of recycled material being diverted from landfill.”
“I expect to have the estate back to the owners by the agreed time which is an amazing effort and all involved should be congratulated.”
While we have no doubt the area will be spick and span in no time, it’s a shame that punters have to go ahead and get mum to clean up their mess like a pack of children. Very poor form, guys and gals.
Image via Geelong Advertiser
