The decision to revisit the application was made after concert organisers Sunset Events held a briefing for staff and councillors last Thursday.

The Mass Music Festival was proposed to run with the Drug Aware Pro surf competition this March.

However, “Councillors at the time of Wednesday, 20 January meeting were not prepared to give in-principle support to the event as not all information had been presented,” the shire said last Friday in a press release.

A full officer’s report will go to Council at the next Ordinary Meeting onWednesday, February 10 for the council to have a second look at the application.

The concert proposed for March 20, at the Nippers Oval Gloucester Park is part of an all ages gig with a maximum of 5000 patrons.

At last Wednesday’s meeting, Council received the matter urgent business, staff having just received the application for the March 2010 event.

However, an alternative motion by Cr Brian Middleton to consider the proposal, on the condition it met policy restrictions, was lost 2-3.

Cr Middleton said he wanted to allow an opportunity to revive the concert, despite the vandalism, injuries and overworked police that had dogged the last one.

“I know we felt like killjoys not to approve the concert (in previous years),” Cr Middleton said.

“I don’t think we should stop striving for a better outcome.”

Shire president Ray Colyer noted that the shire was being asked to consider, rather than approve, the music festival at Gloucester Park.

“Yes, there are risks but if Busselton can approve Southbound without much negative impact, we should be able to manage,” he said.

Cr Jenny McGregor argued that Event Assessment Policy PE.44 “didn’t work last time” and she did not want to consider a proposal she did not know enough about.

She said she was not against the concert itself, but its location.

When the concert closed, she said, people under the influence of drugs and alcohol started heading to town.

The result included damage to the park, vandalism, hospital cases and rubbish for the shire staff to clean up.

Cr Lyn Serventy agreed.

“It’s a bit too late,” she said.

“We do need to see a management plan.”

Cr John Bell also regretted being against the motion.

Festival proponents Sunset Events also run the Southbound event in Busselton.

After the January 20 meeting, it was decided to revisit the application.