Application documents have been lodged with Golden Plains Shire Council for a 35,000-patron New Year's Eve Music festival south of Ballarat, near Cressy.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Since 2014, the Beyond the Valley Music and Arts Festival has run massive lineups at Lardner Park, near Warragul, and on Phillip Island, bringing some of the world's finest pop, electronic, and RnB acts to regional Victoria.
Based on the documents, Beyond the Valley appears to be growing too quickly for its current home, and is seeking a new site, at the Barunah Plains Homestead on the Hamilton Highway west of Inverleigh.
The application, from organisers Humm Events, is for a five-year permit to hold a music festival at the 640-hectare site, with at least two main stages, a 12,000 "Electric City" glamping site, and camping for thousands more patrons, including car parking.
The dates listed on the application are for December 28, 2022 to January 1 2023, which lines up with the already released dates on the festival's teaser website - a site is not listed on the website.
The documents state the first year would host 35,000 people, rising to 50,000 over the five years.
"After successful operations since 2014 in its current location, Beyond the Valley is looking to further establish and strengthen its industry leading event with the ability for the event to continue to grow at the location now proposed as part of this application," it states.
"This planning permit application seeks to establish a strong foundation with Council, residents, landholders, local business owners and festival patrons to ensure the on-going success of the festival."
The plans state about 400 workers would be on-site for weeks on either side of the festival site for set-up and pack-down, while more than 5000 workers and volunteers would be on-site for the festival itself.
Bushfire, noise pollution, evacuation, and waste management plans are included in the application, among others, with an Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Management Plan to be approved by the Registered Aboriginal Party.
Barunah Plains is a wedding and function venue in a rural area - the site is zoned for Farming.
If approved, the festival would join possibly Australia's greatest music festivals - the Meredith Music Festival and Golden Plains Music Festival - in Golden Plains Shire, and follows the Spilt Milk festival at Victoria Park in December.
It's noted in the documents regional music festivals bring about $98 million to communities in ancillary spending, according to a 2012 census.
IN THE NEWS
"A permit for a duration of 5 years will enable festival management to invest heavily in the proposed new location year to year and will further allow festival management to demonstrate its long-term and ongoing commitment to the local community, which will ultimately result in the delivery of net community benefit to local townships and organisations," the documents conclude.
Beyond the Valley and organisers Humm Events have been contacted for comment.
Submissions on the application close May 25.
Have you signed up to The Courier's variety of news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in Ballarat.