Ms Carmen Millar:

I might come in on that. The Senator asked what the organisers should be thinking about now to make festivals more accessible. For one, the accessibility stages for outdoor festivals do not have coverings, so if it rains, people are stuck in the rain. If they have an umbrella, they might be fine, but if not, they will be stuck. People come around selling raincoats but that is too late after you have got wet. The organisers should think about providing a cover for the accessibility stages in case of rain.

Furthermore, the accessibility stage should be put somewhere where there is visual sight of the artists' stage in order that those who are able to see will be able to see it. It always seems to be located at quite a distance from where the refreshments are. If someone has come with a companion, he or she might be able to get refreshments, but if the person is attending alone, there is nowhere to get them. The stage should be positioned, therefore, closer to the refreshments. There are toilet facilities next to the accessibility stage, which is great, but it could be closer to the refreshments and should be covered in case of rain.

Finally, it is usually quite a long walk to get there, so perhaps they could be located closer to the exit given that, before the gig, it is easy to get in, but when it starts to end, it can be difficult to get out. It would be great, therefore, if the accessibility stage were closer to the exit.