Police are concerned Victoria's multi-day Rainbow Serpent festival is a threat to public safety and want its annual presence reconsidered.
The festival, which ran from January 22 to Wednesday, has Victoria Police despairing after officers recorded more than 50 incidents of criminal activity over the six days, including drug trafficking, drug driving, theft, indecent assault and criminal damage.
Four people - a 31-year-old Italian man, a 24-year-old French man, a 21-year-old French man and a 33-year-old Healesville man - were charged with offences relating to drug trafficking and possession.
Inspector Bruce Thomas says police are fed up with the conduct of some of those who go to the music and arts festival in Lexton, western Victoria.
"Every year we see the event take place, every year we raise our concerns and every year we are left picking up the pieces," Insp Thomas said in a statement on Thursday.
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"It was a miracle that no one was killed on our roads given the number of drug drivers departing from the festival."
He questioned whether the economic benefits of the festival to the community outweighed public safety after police were forced to respond to numerous incidents of theft, sexual assault, and assault.
Insp Thomas said police will raise the issue of whether Rainbow Serpent should continue at the annual event debrief, which includes local government members and festival organisers.
Event organisers had implored patrons on their website to recognise that, without an improvement in the level of positive drug tests, concerns about public safety could jeopardise the future of the festival, or its conditions.
