Police have launched a stinging attack on electronic music festival Rainbow Serpent, labelling behaviour at the bush dance event "completely unacceptable" after the death of a reveller on the weekend.
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A 22-year-old Kensington man died about 10pm on Saturday after emergency services were unable to resuscitate him after he collapsed during the festival which was held on farmland near Beaufort in western Victoria.
Despite repeated warnings, police said they dealt with a string of serious offences at this year's event, including two sexual assaults, six incidents of drug crimes and 17 drug-driving offences.
Ecstasy, MDMA, ketamine and cannabis were among the drugs seized by police.
There were also a number of assaults, including one on a police officer. Police expect those numbers to rise.
More than 10,000 people were expected to attend the 2017 Rainbow Serpent, which was set to be one of the first to host a safe space providing support to victims of sexual assault.
Ballarat Superintendent Andrew Allen said what had occurred across the past five days was "completely unacceptable".
"Every year more and more police resources are required at this extraordinarily high-risk event," he said.
"Police had a strong presence at the festival, but our members can't stop people making risky and potentially lethal choices about their behaviour.
"Something must change."
Superintendent Allen said the festival was marketed as a place of relaxation and healing but police witnessed a very different side to the event.
"Every year police deal with serious crimes such as assaults and sexual assaults," he said.
"We know organised drug traffickers have travelled to the event to prey on impressionable youth."
The death of the man, the second at Rainbow Serpent, is not believed to be suspicious and police will prepare a report for the coroner.
In a statement on Sunday morning, Rainbow Serpent organiser Tim Harvey said: "Rainbow Serpent considers the safety of patrons a priority and we will continue to co-operate with authorities to determine exactly what happened in this situation."
One festival attendee is in hospital with serious injuries after the car he was driving collided with the rear of a truck on the Western Freeway in Nerrina, near Ballarat.
The truck driver was not injured.
The circumstances of the crash will be investigated.
