City of Sydney introduces new restrictions on buskers in CBD

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Registered buskers have received an email from the City of Sydney about new limits on performance spots. On the busy stretch between George and Pitt Streets, now only seven permitted spaces are available on a first-in basis. The council says it continues "to permit buskers to perform on most public land".

Transcript

00:00Well, the heart of Sydney's CBD will be a lot quieter following new restrictions introduced

00:08by the City of Sydney Council, effectively limiting the number of available spots for

00:14buskers throughout the city.

00:16Under the new changes that were introduced on Monday and effective immediately, no busking

00:21is permitted on George Street between Circular Quay and Haymarket, except for six spots limited

00:28to an hour per busker per day on a first-in basis.

00:33At nearby Pitt Street Mall, there is now only one spot for low-impact acts, like a performer

00:40playing an instrument.

00:41But the new restrictions have received quite a strong reaction this morning from here outside

00:46of Sydney's iconic Town Hall, with a lot of people asking, where has the music gone?

00:51This is a city.

00:53Why are we having the bureaucrats and the wowsers say, no, you can't have, we can't have that?

00:58We want life in this city, we want people to come and visit, we want people to hang around.

01:03Where's the music?

01:04I love walking down here and having a busker there on the corner, young person, old person,

01:09it doesn't matter.

01:10And they're just letting it go.

01:12And it lifts the whole place.

01:13But somebody might be offended by the lyrics, or somebody might be offended by the subject

01:20matter, and we mustn't offend anybody, unless it's been passed by the headmistress.

01:24Well, firstly, I think music in the city is a good thing, but I'm not quite sure how many.

01:31Six sounds like not enough to me.

01:34I think already there's a problem with the vibe in the cityscape, and I think reducing

01:39entertainment in the city is probably a bad thing.

01:42I'd like to see more entertainment in the city.

01:44I think I'd be happy for them, like, if I'm sad, I can be happy, because music, I think

01:53everyone likes music, so, yes, it's good.

01:56In a statement, the city of Sydney says it ultimately supports busking in the CBD.

02:02Their main reasoning for those new restrictions are twofold.

02:05First of all, to ensure people have safe passage through the major thoroughfares of the CBD.

02:11And second, to make sure that buskers have the opportunity to not be drowned out by louder

02:17or busier acts.

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