A stand-off between the organisers of an unauthorised music retreat and a Western Australian council looks set to spill over into the courts after both parties refused to back down.
Last weekend, the Mindful Earth Sanctuary was due to hold an event on a property in Karridale, 300km south of Perth, in the Margaret River tourist region.
Retreat owner Beau Morrell said 100 people were due to camp on the property and attend a multi-day event, which he described as a "healing opportunity".
"The people were coming together to do ecstatic dance, where you play music for around an hour and people just dance without talking," he said.
"It's very beautiful to participate in."
Mr Morrell said those who attended would also be offered yoga and breathwork sessions.
Locals fed up with the gatherings
But the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River took the unusual step of issuing a public statement declaring the event illegal and threatening fines for anyone who attended.
Shire president Stephanie Addison-Brown said recent events from Mindful Earth had led to complaints from the local community.
"Some of them have been about rubbish … others about music at all hours," she said.
"One of the concerns that we've had was on a weekend when we had a total fire ban, we had people driving across a paddock.
Ms Addison-Brown said similar events were frequently held across the region, but they sought out the proper approvals from the shire.
Organisers willing to risk $200,000 fine
Mr Morrell said he did not believe he would be successful in applying for a permit because the council had previously said camping was not permitted on his property.
He said the laws were outdated and he would continue to hold events.
"The threat is of fines of up to $200,000, but I'm willing to take that risk because I feel like we can challenge that and change the rules," he said.
"There are a lot of properties like ours that are wanting to utilise volunteers to build up beautiful spaces.
Surge in illegal bush parties
Local authorities in the region have been dealing with a spate of illegal parties or 'bush doofs' during the COVID-19 pandemic.
South West Police Superintendent Geoff Stewart said if there was a serious incident at the parties, often held in areas that were hard to access, emergency services might not be able to respond quickly.
