Organisers of the troubled Rainbow Serpent Festival have denied they are to blame for the drug overdoses and related crimes at the event, instead blasting authorities and existing government policies for creating a "very difficult drug landscape".
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It comes as police reveal there were two sexual assaults at the four-day music festival in central Victoria's Lexton, as well as seven hospitalisations due to drug use, 10 arrests for drug trafficking and 54 drug notices issued, putting the future of the festival in doubt.
Speaking on Tuesday morning, Rainbow Serpent spokesman Tim Harvey defended the festival and instead blamed authorities for creating a "very difficult drug landscape".
"The issue is created by 30 years of failed drugs policy, and we're still waiting for governments to catch up," Mr Harvey told ABC radio's Jon Faine.
Mr Harvey denied Rainbow Serpent attracted more drug risk-takers than other events, but said the festival was doing all it could to minimise harm. The event issues health information to festival-goers, hires a team of medics and has created a safety space called 'The Nest'.
"We are the people trying to do our best to meet these challenges and we are waiting for governments and other organisations to get on board with this rather than continuing the same zero-tolerance message that has caused the problem we face at the moment," Mr Harvey said.
He said many large events as well as the broader community faced similar drug issues, but he believed there was a "warped focus" on electronic music events and rejected the expectation that it was up to festivals to fix the problem.
Figures released on Tuesday by police show 54 festival-goers were slapped with cautions or diversions for drug possession and 10 people were arrested for drug trafficking. Sixteen drivers tested positive for drugs - a decrease from the more than 40 caught last year.
Four of the arrested festival-goers, including a French national, were remanded to appear at Ballarat Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
Police used detection dogs to search people and vehicles during the festival.
The festival has been marred by non-drug related incidents as well. Police say there were two sexual assaults and two other assaults at the festival.
Three people were also taken to hospital after a truck rolled onto their tent on Thursday afternoon.
Superintendent Jenny Wilson said she was disappointed to see so many "dangerous choices" made at the festival, despite repeated warnings from police.
"Every year, police deal with serious crimes at this event such as sexual assaults and drug trafficking," she said.
"This kind of behaviour puts a lot of people at risk and is completely unacceptable.
"We want people to come to this event and enjoy it for what it is - a celebration of culture, music and arts.
"However, the behaviour of some individuals shows that there are still some people out there willing to put themselves, and others at huge risk."
On Monday, Pyrenees Shire Council mayor Robert Vance threatened to ban the festival if its drug issues became "out of control", with at least one woman still fighting for her life in hospital.
"If there is a death, then it's very serious … it could be an ultimatum," Cr Vance said.
It's understood a review of the festival will take place in the near future between authorities including Victoria Police, Ambulance Victoria, fire authorities, the Pyrenees council, festival organisers and health groups employed by the organisers.
A Victorian government spokeswoman said the government would not get in the way of the local council barring the event.
The seven drug overdoses come as the peak body for emergency medicine in Australia and New Zealand, the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, issued a statement in support of pill testing.
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