Michael Chugg of Chugg Entertainment P/L has joined in support of Bluesfest , due to the shadow a Byron Bay Council music festival policy has cast over the beloved event.
Musicians such as Kasey Chambers, Michael Franti, Ben Harper, John Butler and band Cat Empire have all voiced their support. The Byron Bay council events policy singles out music as the only form of event to be banned in the Byron Bay Shire.
Chugg has responded to the policy thus "
"I WISH TO SEE A MORE LIBERAL POLICY THAT DOES NOT IMPOSE CONDITIONS THAT ARE UNACCEPTABLE TO ME & the Australian Music Industry. I would point out that my company had spoken to Mr Noble About using the BLUESFEST site for a concert with Sir Elton John In November this year 2012 but the ridiculous short sited policy of the council has once more seen a major event go to Regional Queensland."
Ben Harper says, "This kind of thing is not supposed to happen in Australia, other places perhaps but not there. You have something so special, please do not diminish it in this way."
John Butler voices his support of Bluesfest "I am writing to express my concern over the proposed Byron Shire Council Music Event policy which sees to limit two concerts or festivals a year to the area. Obviously Bluesfest and Splendour are the first to come to mind and if they were both within the Byron residential precinct , like they both used to be, I might appreciate the validity of this policy, however with the Bluesfest site now being out of this area, I do not see the problem for more shows to occur at this site. The new site has relieved traffic and a myriad of other problems within the Byron Shire and it's infrastructure."
And now a message from Bluesfest Festival Director Peter Noble ;
"We only need a little over 500 signatures to get the petition debated on the floor of the State parliament – we have almost 9,500 individual petitions lodged so far, and need 10,000 to get this crucial thing done. Now that the Splendour site in Byron shire has been given an approval to hold 3 major events on their land by the NSW state government – the festival quota in Byron shire under the Events Policy of 2 festival yearly is taken up - and IF the council do not amend their policy We would need to move away from Byron shire once our current approval expires in 2020. THIS IS NOT RIGHT! "
Sign the petition and show your support here:http://www.bluesfest.com.au/pages/?PageID=206
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