A grassfire near the Midland Highway has prompted a warning to Meredith Music Festival-goers with lightning and damaging north winds predicted overnight on Friday and Saturday. Police will also have an increased presence around the Golden Plains - as well as at Saturday's Ballarat Cup. On Tuesday, Meredith firefighters were called to a grassfire in a paddock north of the town around 5.20pm. It was under control within 10 minutes, despite hot, dry conditions. "CFA is well connected to the Meredith Music Festival event management team," a CFA spokesperson said. "It's very confident and comfortable with the arrangements in place to support the music festival and deliver a successful event." Police said they would conduct random drug and alcohol testing in areas leading to and from the festival over the weekend. "Ballarat and Moorabool highway patrol crews will be in that vicinity as well as uniformed police," Sergeant Craig Kelso said. "We also want to remind people on the roads that we'll have people coming into the region that are not familiar with our roads. "The roads have deteriorated (over several wet years) and if you have poor roads, a lack of local knowledge and impaired driving, it's a recipe for disaster. "We're pleading with motorists to be vigilant. "Have a good time at the festival, but make sure you get home safely. "Remember the speed limit is a maximum speed only. If its not safe to do 100kmh, don't do 100kmh. "Drive to the conditions." The crowd at the Meredith Music Festival has traditionally been trouble-free although in 2007 the organisers of sister event - the Golden Plains Festival - were rocked by the death of a 21-year-old Prahran medical student whose body was found in his tent. At the same festival in March 2023, police said seven people also tested positive to either ice or GHB. Sergeant Kelso said a booze bus and extra patrols would also be at the Ballarat Cup. "Your numbers might be lucky on the track - but don't be unlucky off the track," he said. "Be careful on the roads. Don't drive while you're impaired and don't speed." Victoria has already seen 275 lives lost on our roads so far this year. That is up from 230 at the same time last year.