For the last three years Fair Play has been helping partygoers understand their legal rights and monitor police operations at Mardi Gras events. After a very successful 2016 Mardi Gras party operation – where numbers of police searches and drug possession charges were down and there was not one official complaint regarding police conduct – the Fair Players will be back at the Mardi Gras party in 2017.

As a community-based initiative, Fair Play has played an integral role in raising awareness and providing information and support to the LGBTIQ community on a wide range of issues relating to health, safety, rights and appropriate policing practices at parties during the Mardi Gras period.

This year, as well as usual activity at the Mardi Gras party on 4 March, the Fair Play partners – Inner City Legal Centre, ACON and Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras – want to make sure everyone who attends the party, is prepared, including international visitors. To this end Inner City Legal Centre has produced Drug Law in NSW – Myths and Realities and this will be distributed widely in coming weeks.

Drug Law in NSW – Myths and Realities addresses some common misconceptions, like:

– “I only have enough for personal use – that’s ok right?”
– “My friends and I pooled our money and bought some pills. I’m not breaking the law by giving them the pills, am I?”
– “Police can only search me if I consent, or if I am arrested, right?”

“In 2016, the majority of partygoers who had to seek legal advice in relation to drug charges after the Mardi Gras party were international visitors. We hope Drug Law in NSW – Myths and Realities will help clarify details about drug laws in NSW,” says Vicki Harding, Inner City Legal Centre Director. Hilary Kincaid, Principal Solicitor of the Inner City Legal Centre, added: “Remember that all prohibited drugs are equally prohibited, there is no ‘safe’ amount and there is no risk-free way to possess prohibited drugs.”

Nic Parkhill, CEO of ACON, said of the initiative: “Fair Play provides ACON and our partner community organisations with an opportunity to educate the communities we serve on a number of issues, ranging from legal rights and responsibilities, through to safety and wellbeing. I’d like to acknowledge the NSW Police’s efforts in seeing that this program works and can drive down the number of arrests during the period. This is a community led response that seeks to keep party-goers informed and safe, and we’re proud be a part of this great initiative.

Terese Casu, CEO of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, added: “The Mardi Gras teams work hard to provide a safe and welcoming environment at all Mardi Gras events and we are delighted to be working with Fair Play again in 2017 to assist us in raising awareness and working with our teams to ensure that all our guests and international visitors have the best and safest experience possible.”

Drugs in NSW – Myths and Realities can be found here.

For more information about Fair Play or volunteering visit www.fair-play.org.au. Like and share Fair Play on Facebook at: facebook.com/yourfairplay

Fair Play is an initiative of the Inner City Legal Centre (ICLC), NSW’s LGBTIQ legal centre, in partnership with ACON and Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (SGLMG).

MEDIA CONTACT
Vicki Harding on 0414 568 187 or David Alexander (ACON) at dalexander@acon.org.au or (02) 9206 2044