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Department of Justice and Community Safety

GUIDE TO PUBLIC EVENTS IN THE ACT

Managing a public or private event

Whenever organising/inviting people or groups of people to an event or gathering for some purpose, the organiser (whether an individual or an organisation entity) has wide ranging responsibilities in addition to management of the venue, entertainment or proceedings.

These will include the safety, health and rights of staff, volunteers, participants and the general public, as well as protection of property, and preservation of the environment. The organiser must also ensure that there is effective insurance cover such as public liability insurance.

This guide offers an overview of many of the issues that should be considered when organising a public event. It also provides links and contact details, wherever possible, to resources that may need to be accessed when organising a public event.

Are you organising a public event?

Can members of the general public attend your event?

Is your event being held on public land?

If you answered No to both of these questions your event is not likely to be considered a public event although you may find some of the information provided in this guide helpful when organising a private event.*

If you answered Yes to either of these questions your event is considered to be a public event and you should be familiar with many of the requirements and issues raised in the links to these pages.*


*  Please note, some events (both public and private) that do not require any formal approvals, should be advised to, or discussed with, a relevant authority.  This often arises from the organisers “duty of care” for the safety of guests or participants and to the wider community.   See STEP 2 - MANAGING SAFETY for further advice.

 

A publication version of this guide is available here if needed:

however browsers are advised to use the website, as the Guide is designed to direct the event organiser through links to the agencies and sources of information they may need.

 

Public Events Guide Contents