A Wilsons Creek man has been fined $1,000 after hosting a doof last month that had up to 1,500 more guests than the current health restrictions allow.
The man has been issued the infringement notice for ‘Not Comply Noticed Direction, Sect 7/8/9 (Covid 19).’
The unauthorised party, which was held on Saturday 4 July 2020 at Wilsons Creek, attracted an estimated crowd of 1000-1500 attendees.
Following numerous community complaints regarding the illegal gathering in contravention of the NSW Health Minister’s Public Health (COVID-19) Directions, officers from the Tweed-Byron Police District attended the remote location about 3am on Sunday 5 July 2020.
Following an investigation, officers from Tweed-Byron Licensing Police identified a male who attended Byron Bay backpacker hostels prior to 4 July 2020 promoting the event.
Last Friday, August 14, police issued a 50-year-old Wilsons Creek man who is the owner of the property where the event occurred, with the $1000 infringement notice for ‘Not Comply Noticed Direction, Sect 7/8/9 (Covid 19).’
The public is reminded that parties on private properties are limited to a maximum of 20 guests (excluding those people who reside at the location).
Inquiries are continuing with Byron Shire Council regarding further breaches relating to this party.
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$1,000 is a joke, considering that this event could possibly lead to people getting infected and even die. How does that compare to a speeding fine of $330 for going more than 10kph opver the limit, on a raod which might be perfectly safe?
Why has this person not been named?? Just asking.
Is that $1000 for each Guest over the legal limit allowed by the current health restrictions ?
75c per head heavy fine
They should have fined him ‘$1000 for every person there. Fed up with these selfish people who think they are above the law.
The police were still in “forgiving” mode when this doof happened! Pity. They could have stationed a vehicle there and given every person attending the doof a $1000 fine as they left. At least, even the unbelievers in covid would have gotten the message that they will have to play by the rules on this one.
Now the police can do the easy pickings at Main Beach any day at sunset and send a message to party people by issuing fines to all of them! That place is packed out!
$1000 is a an absolute joke and why are we hearing about it now nearly six weeks later? A small group of lads in Victoria were immediately fined over $20,000 for a little Maccas party. Things are more serious there but an ounce of prevention wouldn’t hurt.
What about the promoter going around the hostels? If he’s not a national I reckon deportation would be in order. If not will he face any consequences? This flaunting of the law is not acceptable. Victoria is showing us this virus is no joke – we shouldn’t let their lessons go to waste. 🦠
And now every person who meets any one of them is at risk.
Police were able to issue a fine of $4,000 to the promoter of this illegal doof. Why wasn’t this done? No fine has been issued to the organizer of the party attended by 200 at a Byron Bay Airbnb on Saturday 4 July. I understand that Tamara Smith has asked questions about these 2 events in Parliament.
Interestingly, tens of thousands gathered without muzzles or anti-social distancing, at BLM protests, but that was deemed acceptable or necessary. And I do agree, that a young diabetic man’s death at the hands of thugs and uncaring, sadistic, or wrongly trained personnel is repugnant, totally unacceptable, and tragic. However, the fact is that those gatherings were immense, and nothing happened. No increase in the covids in result and no fines either, except to the non-peaceful protestors, which is understandable.
Interestingly too, hundreds, if not thousands, of foreign students, arriving indiscriminately from all over the world, through/via/from Singapore, which currently has thousands of “active covid cases”, are being welcomed, even encouraged, and waved through into Australia, with no more than a two week quarantine. Quarantine is not isolation. Food and services must be provided to these people during that time by Australians, and Australians handle and clean their rooms, bathrooms and bedding.
Big business supermarkets and department stores operate as usual, with people mingling and touching product without being tracked.
A local social event though, which may even prevent a suicide or two, through people acknowledging and supporting each other as a community, is jumped on. The amount of the fine is irrelevant. The contradictory double standards the government is applying to big business as opposed to small business, community and citizens however, is insane.
Ida what exactly is your point here? Is it that you know better than the NSW CHO, and the research and expert advice upon which she is relying? That consequently the advice about massed gatherings is incorrect and should be ignored? That masks and physical distancing are social evils rather than tools for fighting a newly arrived health threat? That because we don’t like them much we should take every opportunity to take a snide swipe?
Or is it that people shouldn’t be able to go to supermarkets or other retail outlets because it involves ‘big business’? This despite the fact that wherever I have gone the businesses are making considerable efforts to mitigate the dangers – with the thoughtlessness of fellow shoppers the main threat?
I agree with you about the caution required with foreign students but I think you are a bit confused. What does it matter where they come from or who has to look after them in quarantine if this ‘plandemic’ thing is all an evil hoax?
As for the double standards of government I’m not that convinced that Airbnb and unauthorised doofs are the sorts small businesses we want to look after.
Ida, these ill-informed, inexpert, ill-sourced beliefs are counterproductive, anti- social and dangerous. They are helping to keep us in restrictions which are taking an increasingly heavy toll on our psychological and economic wellbeing. Think about it!
Again Liz, you misrepresent my words, so your incessant drivel amounts to yet another strawman argument.