La Trobe University statement regarding this year's Bendigo Writers Festival.
La Trobe University regrets that this year's Bendigo Writers Festival did not proceed as intended and I acknowledge the impact on the Bendigo and wider community.
The future of the festival is a matter for the City of Greater Bendigo, which remains one of our most important community partners. While La Trobe University was not invited to make a submission to the City of Greater Bendigo's consultation, which we understand included a survey that was issued to individuals, including previous ticket holders, participants and community members, we remain in open dialogue with the City about future collaborations that contribute to the intellectual and cultural life of Bendigo and the surrounding regions.
It is important to note that the Festival measures we worked on with the City of Greater Bendigo were introduced with the genuine intent of enabling the event to proceed at a time when we are witnessing a deeply concerning rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia.
While we regret the outcome of this year's Bendigo Writers Festival, as a University that does not tolerate any kind of racism, we will continue to take seriously any safety and inclusion concerns raised by the community about public programming. As the Vice-Chancellor, I am ultimately accountable for ensuring that the University upholds this commitment, which we extend, without exception, to all members of our community regardless of their background, cultural or political affiliations.
La Trobe regularly reviews its processes and planning around its public engagement activities. In the case of the Bendigo Writers Festival, we have learned the importance of clarifying partnership terms and responsibilities at an early stage together with robust partnership governance. We also acknowledge that the code of conduct was introduced too late for consultation with festival participants.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Theo Farrell
This statement was provided to the ABC on 16 December 2025.
