**ONLY SIGN THIS PETITION IF YOU PAID FOR TICKETS TO SITG 2022 VIA MOSHTIX or APPROVED RESALE PROCESS & CAN PROVIDE PROOF OF PURCHASE OR YOU WORKED AT SITG IN A FORMAL VOLUNTEER CAPACITY**
In accordance with the LIVE PERFORMANCE AUSTRALIA TICKETING CODE OF PRACTICE - EIGHTH EDITION - EFFECTIVE 1 JANUARY 2021 (“The Code”), we the ticket holders and volunteer workers of Splendour in the Grass 2022 (“SITG2022”) request that the ‘Ticket Proceeds’ for the event continue to be held in trust for the impacted consumers in light of gross breaches of the code and demonstrable dereliction of duty of care to patrons and volunteer workers and the likely event that a significant number of formal complaints will be lodged with both the member organisations and with Live Performance Australia in relation to SITG 2022.
Further, we believe that the actions of organisers have severely impinged upon on our consumer rights and were reasonably foreseeable by the event organisers. This belief draws into significant doubt that the member organisations have engaged in any form of “honest, fair or in-good-faith dealings”. Further, we are of the view that the organisers have failed to meet their obligations to clearly communicate with consumers about both event operations and complaints handling processes which has created an unsafe and unreasonable environment for both patrons and volunteer workers throughout the event.
It is clear that in order to achieve appropriate consumer remedy in this matter that the following member organisations must be held to account by Live Performance Australia:
Live Nation Australasia Pty Ltd
Splendour in the Grass Pty Ltd
Secret Sounds Pty Ltd
Moshtix Pty Ltd
As the ‘Ticket Proceeds’ are very likely going to be the subject of protracted consumer complaints with the obvious and distinct probability that any such consumer complaint may be deemed valid, we feel that if Live Performance Australia fail to step in on our behalf and halt distribution of the ‘Ticket Proceeds’ to the event organisers and related commercial entities, our concern is that we may never receive reasonable or timely financial remedy in relation to this matter.
We, the ticket holders of Splendour in the Grass 2022, ask that Live Performance Australia, inform SITG2022 and all related commercial entities, immediately and prior to the conclusion of the event, that ‘Ticket Proceeds’ held in trust for consumers should NOT be released, distributed or in any other way made accessible to the event organisers on the following basis:
1. As per widely published media and social media coverage, it is clear that the Member Organisations of Live Performance Australia have knowingly and willingly engaged in gross breaches of relevant industry and consumer codes.
2. We, the paying patrons are alarmed by the lack of publicly available information about resolving disputes between the relevant Member Organisations as they relate to SITG2022 and Consumers.
3. We feel that the event organisers have made false and misleading statements publicly regarding refunds for the cancelled portion of the event and about the conditions consumers would likely experience whilst in attendance at the event.
4. We feel that the demonstrable history from some of the relevant member organisation of failing to adequately deal with Complaints from Consumers and/or issue refunds in a timely manner deems it necessary for Live Performance Australia to take immediate steps to ensure our Consumer Rights are protected and that the relevant Member Organisations are held to account.
5. We can foresee that the relevant Member Organisation’s complaints handling procedures are going to prove to be manifestly inadequate in light of the sheer volume of complaints likely to arise from an event of this scale and will deprive us of right to recourse, refunds and other compensatory measures.
6. From what we saw, there has also very likely been abject failures in relation to obligations to ensure a safe working environment for festival volunteers under the Fair Work Act 2009 and that their rights should also be protected.
7. We are of the view that Live Performance Australia is going to need to refer all consumer complaints to a dedicated Complaints handling process independent of the event organisers and that dedicated Code Reviewer resources should also be established due to a) the complexity and nature of the complaints b) the conduct of the Member Organisations c) because Michael Coppel of Live Nation Australasia is a member of the Live Performance Australia Executive Council (he should probably recuse himself from any and all involvement in the matter too as a result of a clear conflict of interest).
https://liveperformance.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/LPA-Ticketing-Code-Industry-Code-8th-edition-FINAL.pdf
Sincerely, The paying patrons and volunteer workers of SITG2022.
