Guiding principles

Ensure a consistent, coordinated approach and provide clarity to event organisers:

• Allow for a cross-section of events.
• Ensure liaison between relevant land and water managers.
• Ensure consistent application of the criteria to be demonstrated by event organisers.
• Apply expression of interest and event application form consistently.

Objectives and criteria for consideration of events

Mitigate risks to the safety of event participants and spectators

• Event proposals must identify all safety issues and propose appropriate management strategies, consistent with Australian Standards, to mitigate risks to the safety of participants, spectators and other users.

Ensure protection of bay and river values

• Proposed events must seek to protect identified values and beneficial uses (i.e. environmental, recreational, commercial, water supply, other commercial purposes) in line with relevant legislation, the State Environments Protection Policy for the Waters of Victoria (including Schedule F7 - Waters of Yarra Catchment , Port Phillip and Western Port ).

Promote quality tourism / recreation experiences

• Event proposals must be consistent with bays and waterway  tourism and recreation objectives.
• Event proposals must be consistent with broader State Government tourism objectives, including Parks Victoria's Healthy Parks Healthy People.

Events to be consistent with the venues’ physical capacity

• Size and scale of events must be consistent with bay and river tourism and recreational objectives.
• Event proposals must demonstrate that they have made all reasonable efforts to accommodate and/or reduce impacts to other bay and waterway users and  recognise users with commercial interests.
• Event proposals must demonstrate how they plan to reduce adverse social impacts such as noise, odour, crowding, unsightly infrastructure, and vandalism.

Recognise the constraints within the Commercial Port Zones

• Event proposals must not interfere with port-related activities in the Port Zones.