Two men have been charged with drug trafficking and a third treated for an overdose at the first Victorian music festival to trial pill testing.
Police allege two men were found with trafficable quantities of drugs during separate searches at Beyond the Valley in Barunah Plains, about 50 kilometres west of Geelong, on Monday.
A 28-year-old from South Yarra allegedly had 17 MDMA pills, four grams of cocaine and other pills on him, while a Rippleside man, 27, was allegedly found with 27 grams of cocaine and 15 grams of ketamine.
They were both granted bail and will face court in March.
Some 35,000 revellers are expected to pack the music festival over five days – the first of 10 events trialling a state government-backed drug checking service over 18 months.
Partygoers can anonymously drop off pills, capsules, powders, crystals and liquids with experts who test them for harmful chemicals before they are counselled on risks of consumption.
Pill testing is legal in Queensland and the ACT, while NSW says it will launch a $1 million 12-month trial in 2025.
A man aged in his twenties who had been at Beyond the Valley was treated for a drug overdose at Geelong Hospital on Saturday, a hospital spokesperson confirmed.
No information is available on whether he used the service as revellers are not asked to provide their names or other details.
Police promised a highly visible presence at the festival but officers will not be at the pill testing station unless responding to an incident, as it is not illegal to carry a small amount of drugs at a drug-checking service.
Regular enforcement powers apply away from the service.
“Victoria Police has zero tolerance for drug traffickers and officers will have no hesitation arresting and charging someone for this offence, no matter where it occurs,” a spokesperson said.
Testers can analyse up to 200 samples through the door each day, with the service operating from 1pm to 7pm and only available for drugs intended for personal use.
Festival-goers are alerted promptly about any dangerous substances detected but no such warnings have been shared as of close of service on Monday.
“We have been very pleased with the significant uptake of the service at Beyond The Valley,” Loop Australia Victorian Drug Checking Director Sarah Hiley told AAP.
“The drug market is more unpredictable than ever, so it’s been encouraging to see festival-goers, especially young people, so willing to have open and honest conversations about their health and safety.”
Former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews rejected proposals for similar trials but current premier Jacinta Allan introduced the scheme soon after coming to power.
It followed 10 overdoses last summer and five separate state coronial recommendations pushing for pill testing since 2021.
Victorian paramedics responded to more drug overdoses in the first three months of 2024 than all of 2023, with many around festivals and other events attended by young people, Ms Allan has said.
State parliament passed legislation in October to allow the $4 million trial and a fixed site to open in mid-2025 in inner-Melbourne.
