Falls Festival’s future at Murroon is in doubt with organisers withdrawing from a VCAT planning approval process to host its music and arts festival near Birregurra.
Festival organisers have initiated the process to withdraw from the planning process, and it’s unclear at this stage whether they would seek another permit in the future.
It comes after a small group of objectors opposed the planning permit approval for the festival and applied to the Victorian Civil Administrative Tribunal to stop it.
Falls Festival organisers had also appealed the permit to VCAT and asked for changes to conditions.
“Unfortunately, following initial compulsory mediation, the parties could not achieve a resolution and a hearing was set for late February early March next year,” Falls Producer and Secret Sounds Co chief executive Jessica Ducrou said.
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Where To Buy“Given the time and expense, we have decided to withdraw from the approval process. The festival industry is recovering from the pandemic and a long, expensive process pursuing this application is something we’ll need to reassess in the new year.
“It has taken two-years of consultation and planning permit approval processes to get to this point and despite support from the local community and Colac Otway Council, the process has been stalled by the objectors through VCAT,” she said.
The decision will not impact this year’s New Year festival which had relocated to Melbourne.
Read more in Monday’s Colac Herald.