Policing 2023’s combined Sydney WorldPride and Mardi Gras festivals came at a significant financial cost for both police and organisers, documents released under public information access laws reveal.
The total cost of policing both festivals, including logistical expenses such as meals, was estimated at $1.96 million, according to a document released by NSW Police. Of this, $551,345 was charged to the organisers of both festivals under the “user pays” system, where police charge event organisers for the required police resources.
Running from February 24 to March 6, the extensive security operation by the NSW Police Force involved a large-scale deployment across multiple events. Approximately 2400 police officers, including both general duty and specialist officers, were deployed. Event organisers paid NSW Police for 267 of these officers, while the remaining 2135 were funded by the police.
For the Mardi Gras parade on Oxford Street, 941 officers were rostered at a cost of $598,137, while the Pride March over Sydney Harbour required 413 officers, costing $262,519. Both of these expenses were fully covered by the police.
However, for other events, such as the Mardi Gras After Party and the Domain Dance Party, which required between 10 and 36*** officers, costing $14,969 and $167,810 respectively, organisers were responsible for covering the costs.
For the WorldPride opening and closing ceremonies, police charged organisers approximately $50,000 per event, with 35 and 37 officers deployed, respectively.
The Domain Dance Party was the most expensive event charged to organisers, followed by the Oxford Street Party, which cost $124,231.20. Other significant expenses incurred by organisers included $96,810.80 for the Pride Villages event*** on Crown and Riley streets, near Oxford Street, and $85,898.60 for the Bondi Beach Party.
Included in the Bondi party’s $85,898.60 figure was $5036.40 for four officers stationed on a boat off the beach during the party. Vessel costs totalled $1825.71.
The police absorbed the $174,800.56 cost of operating the drug dog program at events such as the Mardi Gras After Party, Domain Dance Party, Bondi Beach Party, and the WorldPride closing ceremony.
officers rostered on date event/ purpose.
Helicopter costs for Sydney WorldPride policing totalled $9259.40, including $4629.70 for hiring one from Scenic World Katoomba for an unspecified purpose, and $2525.30 and $2104.40 allocated for the Domain opening ceremony and Bondi Beach Party, respectively, using what appears to be the police’s own helicopter fleet.
According to the Australian Festival Association, NSW Police collected $88.7 million in “user pays” fees in 2023 alone, with no avenue for negotiation on costs at the time.
However, recent amendments to the Music Festivals Act, passed on September 30, have changed that.
Before these changes, festivals “had no way to negotiate or challenge these steep costs”, the association said earlier this month. “Some fees were so high that they put festivals at risk of shutting down altogether – and some did.”
Now, NSW Police fees can be appealed.
“While organisers can now challenge unreasonable costs, the fees haven’t been eliminated,” the association said after the changes became law.
“It’s a step forward, but we’re still working to align these fees with fairer practices in other states.”
NSW Police told Gay Sydney News its “user pays” program operates on a not-for-profit basis, recovering the cost of personnel and resources for events. The number of police required is determined in consultation with event organisers, factoring in crowd size, risk assessments, and venue size.
The program is designed to help organisers “meet their business needs and their responsibilities to the community” while allowing police to maintain regular services.
“Recovering this cost ensures more police are available for duty,” NSW Poice said, noting that police can work with organisers and local governments to assess potential risks.
A Sydney Mardi Gras spokesperson confirmed via email that the organisation, along with Sydney WorldPride, covered the costs associated with their signature events.
However, the spokesperson did not respond to whether Mardi Gras considered the charges to be fair.
By law, all major and special events in NSW must have a NSW Police presence in order to proceed.
Festivals must also pay for ambulance services.
The document containing police costs for Sydney WorldPride and Mardi Gras 2023 can be found here.
***We are currently clarifying with NSW Police the number of police that attended the Domain Dance Party and how much the event cost as two tables in the document it released show different numbers. We are also clarifying the cost of policing Pride Villages.
Gay Sydney News editor