Tanglewood Festival. Photo: tanglewood.com.au

A Council officer is due to recommend to Murrindindi Councillors this week (Wed.) that they grant a five-year permit for the Tanglewood Festival at Thornton.

The arts and music festival is due to be held from December 30-January 2 at a rural property at 969 Maroonah Hwy, Thornton.

According to the Festival website, the Festival brings more than 30 hours of local, live acoustic, bands and electronic musicians, supported by art galleries, workshops, bars and street food.

“We have built an affordable, safe festival for everyone, away from the busy cities where we can each discover amazing; music, performance and art in great company and a beautiful landscape,” according to the promoters.

Some neighbouring property owners are not so welcoming about the Festival being held in the district.

The property is in a farming zone, and the Festival organisers have sought a permit to hold the event for each of the next five years.

Organisers want to be able to have music performed overnight on New Year’s Eve, until 6am on New Year’s Day.

The hours for music sought are:
• December 30 – 3pm and midnight
• December 31 – 10am to 6am (Jan. 1)
• January 1 – 10am – 11pm.

Under the recommendation put to Councillors by Shire staff, patrons are only permitted on the site between the hours of 9am on December 30 and 5pm on January 2.

If the permit is allowed by Murrindindi Councillors, it is likely that each year the Festival organisers will be obliged to file management plans including:

• Event Management Plan
• Noise Management Plan
• Emergency Management Plan
• Waste Management Plan
• Traffic Management Plan.

One suggested permit condition is that “activities on the final day of the festival and the pack down must not cause annoyance to people beyond the site”.

Another condition is that a list of food vendors must be supplied to the Council each year.

• The decision of the Council is likely to be made at the monthly meeting due to be held at 6pm Wednesday (Jul. 22).