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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Entertainment
Kelly Burke

NSW police accused of ‘killing’ music festivals by charging excessive fees

NSW police officers patrol the Listen Out music festival in Sydney in September
NSW police officers patrol the Listen Out festival in Sydney in September. The force has been accused of ‘price gouging’ at music festivals. Photograph: Samantha Lock/AAP

New South Wales police have been accused of “price gouging” and operating a “rort” that threatens the viability of music festivals, by charging tens of thousands of dollars more than their counterparts in other states to patrol the events.

The Greens MP Cate Faehrmann told NSW parliament this week that a recent festival that played across three states paid $107,852 for policing for 16,000 people in NSW, but just $45,000 for 14,000 people in both Victoria and Queensland.

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