Event Partner Profile                                           
The Falls Music & Arts Festival is one of the finest, longest running, boutique music events in Australia.  Boasting intimate surroundings of sheer beauty where music & arts from around the globe come together. Nestled on two farms that host the event simultaneously from December 29th until January 1st; in the Otway Rainforest near Lorne along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, and near the beautiful Marion Bay beaches in Tasmania. Set amongst the countries most spectacular scenery, the festival is based on European style events, including camping, arts, comedy, a great atmosphere, over 60 acts (international and national), beach access  and a variety of activities and entertainment across a couple of days.  This year marks the 16th annual festival in Victoria and the 6th year in Tasmania.

Environmental Record:                                            
After winning The People’s Choice Award at The Banksia Environmental Awards in 2007, this year has seen The Falls Festival be awarded A Greener Festival Award for our enviro-initiatives.

The Award is based on a seven part questionnaire which covers event management, travel and transport plans, CO2 emissions, fair trade, waste management and recycling, water management and noise pollution. Points are awarded for festivals which can show an active plan to promote public transport, reduce on-site waste, recycle and compost wherever possible, re-use water and use sustainable power. Festivals are expected to have a coherent environmental policy and AGreenerFestival.com has environmental auditors who visit as many festival sites as possible to assess how festivals implement their plans. So, to our Green Team, our Site Managers, all our conscientious patrons and members of The Falls Fam - well-done, and thank you!

The environment is very close to the heart of The Falls Festival which boasts two of Australia’s most incredible natural environment venues

Our simple aim is to:                                       
•    Create a positive environmental impact by applying extensive environmental practices to a significant population over three days.
•    Minimize our impact on the local environment and make improvements to existing conditions where possible.
•    Reach beyond the festival and help make the world a better place by using this wonderful opportunity to pass on important information and ideas to hundreds of thousands of people over the years.

Recognised for Environmental Excellence:                            
The Falls Festival has recently been internationally awarded for our ‘green’ tactics and practices employed pre, during and post event.
•    In 2008, The Falls Festival was awarded the international A Greener Festival Award alongside other international music festival from both the USA & the UK.
•    2007 saw The Falls Music and Arts Festival be awarded by The Banksia Environmental Foundation, winning the ‘People’s Choice Award’ in Sydney, in July.

Some of the things that The Falls Festival does for the environment:             
•    Comprehensive recycling program participated in by patrons, staff, caterers etc. 2007 event we recycled 34.91ton
•    Find opportunities to reduce packaging and waste and also to use recycled products. We encourage everyone else to do the same and incorporate these goals into our policies for caterers and others.
•    The composting toilets feature a totally green procedure from start to finish from saving water to eliminating waste. They are flush free and waterless. By treating and composting the waste on site, there is no need for transporting and dealing with it in a treatment plant and it doesn’t get pumped out into our ocean. 100% of loo's at both sites are compostable
•    Ongoing enhancement and protection projects are carried out on and surrounding the festival sites including tree planting, fencing and track work. Onsite Green teams that ensure we carry out enviro aims and keep the site in a pristine condition
•    Surveys are carried out to identify threatened or protected wildlife and flora in the surrounding areas so they can be monitored and protected from human disturbance.
•    We provide as much info as we can in lots of different places including the website, the event program, signs, the superscreen and specially trained staff. These educational activities are significant for developing awareness, respect and the ongoing protection of both the local and global environment.
•    Each year we work closely with the good folk at Green Tix to ensure that each ticket is printed on recycled paper with soy ink. We also team with Greening Australia to ensure that with each ticket sold a tree will be planted. Early this year 30,000 trees were planted after the 2007 event. This initiative will continue for the 2008 event

Weblink www.fallsfestival.com