Two organisers of an illegal doof held at Rocky Creek Dam earlier this year have been fined $6000 by the Lismore City Council.
The illegal dance party, called Pretty Vibes and attended by about 100 people, was held on the Mother’s Day weekend in May in a public reserve area of the dam.
Following complaints from the public, police attended the party to investigate concerns that included the levels of intoxication among revellers, public urination, and the party being at odds with the public usage of the reserve.
Following a review of the evidence and an assessment that the organisers had breached the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act and received financial gain, the two organisers, aged 20 and 25, were fined $3000 each.
‘NSW Police have been actively working to take action in response to illegal doof parties, and have sought assistance from local government in this instance,’ the council’s development and compliance manager Peter Jeuken said.
‘The breaches of the Act were reviewed against the council’s enforcement policy and associated guidelines.
‘The seriousness of the breach was considered high because of the potential harm to individuals attending the event, that the offence occurred on public lands and harmed the use of those lands by other sectors of the community, and that the breach was motivated by financial gain.
‘It was important to impose a penalty that was proportionate to the seriousness of the offence, sets a proper precedent for future cases and is consistent with the intent and objectives of the legislation.”
Senior Constable David Henderson from the Richmond Local Area Command Crime Management Unit said the council’s actions sent a clear message to doof operators that there were consequences for illegal activities.
“It’s important that we send clear and unambiguous messages about this kind of illegal behaviour,’ Sen Const Henderson said.
‘These operators have every opportunity to do the right thing and gain necessary approvals for their activities. If they do not, then there is a consequence,’ Senior Constable Henderson said.
‘We appreciate council’s decisive action in this matter. It is a step in the right direction to ensuring we only see events that are safe for people attending as well as the wider community.’
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