“If you are arriving on Saturday we recommend delaying your arrival until further notice.”
Buses into the festival were cancelled on Saturday, with some artists stating on social media their sets had been cancelled by organisers.
But a statement on Facebook on Saturday afternoon said “programming will commence at 6pm today … and will continue as scheduled for the remainder of the event”.
The statement said patrons already on-site who “wish” to leave and didn’t have cars could get a free shuttle to Ararat station until 6pm. “For those yet to arrive at the festival, we advise you to follow the CFA directions of delaying your travel.“
But, the statement went on: “Please come prepared for the heat, take care of yourself and look out for your friends. At the time of writing there are no active fires in the region and we wish to reassure you that those who are on-site have access to ample shade, cooling misting fans, food and water.”
Aaron Smith said his 19-year-old daughter left Melbourne for the festival early on Friday.
“I haven’t heard from her since 11am yesterday when she was arriving and there’s no way of contacting her,” he said. “My DMs [direct messages] are full of parents in the same situation.”
Smith said the updates from the festival organisers on social media were “not confidence inspiring”.
“It’s really confusing because it’s inconsistent and it’s impossible to square the advice of not to come with not cancelling the event,” he said.
Other worried parents posted about the confusing messaging on Pitch’s social media accounts on Saturday.
“NEGLIGENT in the extreme Pitch! This event should have been cancelled days ago,” one said.
Other ticket-holders who were heeding the CFA advice demanded refunds. Tickets for the festival ranged from $449 to $500.
A CFA spokeswoman said the authority’s advice to Pitch organisers “was to put their Emergency Management Plan into action, which they have done”.
“The advice to Pitch patrons is the same as the advice to anyone currently in an area where an extreme fire danger has been forecast,” the spokeswoman went on. “Leaving bushfire areas early in the day is your safest option.”
The spokeswoman also said the CFA “does not issue permits for events, we provide advice to local councils as a referring authority”.
Ararat Council Mayor Bob Mayor said while the council issued the permit, it was “up to emergency services” to decide whether the festival should be forced to cancel.
“It’s up to emergency service to do what they think is necessary now,” he told The Age. “There will certainly be a thorough review after the event though.”
The state government has been contacted for response.
The maximum temperature for Moyston is 38 degrees on Saturday, with northerly winds up to 35km/h. The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast a top of 38 degrees on Sunday and 37 degrees on Monday.
Moyston is 60 kilometres east of Beaufort where a large bushfire, now under control, began two weeks ago.
Several festivals are being held this long weekend, including Golden Plains Festival in Meredith, 40 kilometres south of Ballarat.
Source Agencies
