The City of Sydney has developed a new policy for busking in the city and is now seeking public feedback to dictate the final policy.
The aim of the new legislation is to widen the opportunities to busk to more locations across the city and simplify the currently complex guidelines to encourage more diversity.
“Busking adds life and soul to a city and makes our public spaces more interesting and creative,” Lord Mayor Clover Moore said.
“We’ve developed the policy with the help of musicians, performers, residents, businesses, music industry representatives and government agencies, and we’ve learned from the world’s best busking cities.
“Our new policy also recognises the right of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to experience and share their cultural heritage in the public domain.”
Under the new policy, First Nations people will no longer need a permit to practice their cultures in public spaces managed by the City and permit classifications will now categorise acts by "the level of impact they have on their surroundings".
The three proposed categories are as follows:
Low impact: soloists or small groups using a performance space under two square metres;
High impact: acts that require a larger space or use higher-risk equipment or materials, or generate a louder or more repetitive type of sound; and
Extended duration: human statues or pavement artists creating works over a longer timeframe.
Busking location maps will also be replaced with a set of criteria that assess suitable busking locations, anywhere in the local area.
“Opening up more locations across the city will reduce the pressure on the most popular, high-traffic busking locations and attract performers to new locations,” the Lord Mayor said.
“This will reduce competition, increase access and bring more variety to acts taking place at popular locations.”
Anyone with an interest in the busking policy is able to provide feedback on the policy at the link here before 29 October.
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