It’s no secret that music industry has been up in arms since NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian vowed to make sure popular harder styles event Defqon would never happen in NSW again.

Well now MusicNSW has penned an open letter condemning any ‘expert’ panel that Berejiklian looks to make, essentially saying that without music industry professionals it won’t amount to anything of worth. The letter itself was signed off by 60 industry names (check them out below) and goes on to say that:

“We [the music industry professionals] are the voice of music in NSW. Please do not shut us out of this important part of the discussion. Together we can develop safe, legal, and practical means for ensuring festivals are safer, enjoyable places for all people.”

The letter gives stats and makes points in regards to employment, tourism and small business while discussing why industry professionals need to be part of the conversation. You can check the full letter here, and an article by SMH about it here.

Have a read and tell us what you think, is this the message that needs to be sent?

Full list of supporters:

Alex The Astronaut
Architects of Entertainment
Australian Drug Law Reform Initiative
Australian Music Industry Network (AMIN)
BBE – FOMO Festival
Ben Mostyn, Founding member Australian Drug Law Reform Initiative
Byron Bay Bluesfest
Cattleyard Promotions – Groovin the Moo
Chugg Entertainment
Cloud Control
Crowd Manager
Dashville – The Gum Ball, Dashville Skyline
Dr Bianca Fileborn, Lecturer Criminology (UNSW Sydney)
Dr Caitlin Hughes, Criminologist and Senior Research Fellow (UNSW National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre)
Dr Monica Barratt, Social Scientist and Senior Research Fellow (UNSW National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre)
Dr Phillip Wadds, Lecturer Criminology (UNSW Sydney)
Dr Will Tregoning, Executive Director, Unharm
DSEM
Electronic Music Conference
FBi Radio
Field Day New Year’s Day
Finely Tuned Productions
Flagmen
Flight Facilities
Force Events
Fuzzy Operations – Listen Out, Harbourlife, Curve Ball
GAS Audio Services
Good Things Festival
Hamiltons Hospitality
Handsome Tours – Fairgrounds
Hardware Corporation
Heaps Gay
Helen Gibbon, Foundation member Australian Drug Law Reform Initiative
Hermitude
Humm
ISEC SECURITY
KLP
Lost Paradise
Lucky Seven Co – Output Festival
MJR Presents – Sydney Summer Series
Morse Code PR
Ms Michala Kowalski, Research Assistant Drug Policy Modelling Program (UNSW National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre)
Nina Las Vegas – NLV Records
NYE in The Park
One Day Entertainment – One Day Sundays
Peking Duk
Pure Music Co
R-Events
R-Training
Red Square Music – Mullum Music Festival, Bello Winter Music
Reddawn Australia
Reddawn Group
RSA Marshals
Rubin Events
Secret Sounds – Splendour In the Grass, Falls Festival, Download Festival
Secure Events and Assets
Set Mo
SLAM (Save Live Australia’s Music)
Spectator Safety
St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival
Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras
This That Festival
Thundamentals
Ultra Australia
Verandah Productions – Secret Garden Festival
Wine Machine
Yours & Owls