Police forced event organisers to stop the entry of attendees mid-afternoon after it was discovered there was an inadequate security presence at the Lake Wendouree venue. 

The event’s licensing agreement stated two crowd control personnel were required for the first 100 patrons, followed by one guard for every additional 100. 

Police also confirmed festival management was aware of its security obligations as they were set out in the liquor licensing agreement. 

Speaking to The Courier on Sunday, BeerFest director Ric Dextor said organisers were “embarrassed” by the security shortage and would fully refund all ticket holders who were unable to make it into the event and offer them a free ticket to the 2019 incarnation.  However he was non-committal on whether festival would in fact run again next year. 

“Unfortunately more people came in than we were expecting and there were some failures in our systems which we are addressing,” Mr Dexter said. 

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Event organisers could potentially face a fine from Victoria Police or the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation for the breach. 

In a statement a VCGLR spokesperson said “the VCGLR was not in attendance but is aware of the Ballarat Beer Festival that occurred on 20 January 2018 and is making inquiries as appropriate”. 

The blunder comes after Ballarat City Council issued BeerFest with a $16,000 grant at a meeting in August to assist with infrastructure for the festival. 

The festival faced a steep increase in fencing costs due to the shift from City Oval to Lake Wendouree, due to the previous venue being entirely enclosed. 

Ballarat City deputy mayor Daniel Moloney, who was among those who was locked out of the festival, said while the security blunder was “frustrating” it would not play a part in council’s decision to provide funding in the future.  The festival has received some form of financial assistance from council each of the seven years it has operated. 

“They were only in a one-year funding agreement because council is progressively trying to get events like this to stand on their own two feet,” Cr Moloney said.  

“Council was keen to help a festival which was put out by our own works but it was made clear that we want it to become self-sustaining.” 

Ballarat City mayor Samantha McIntosh said in a statement “any event that’s seeking grant support from council will have to go through proper process and it will be scrutinised”.