Are Buskers Getting a Fair Go?
Buskers are a part of the city experience: from musicians playing for a living, those playing for exposure or those simply expressing themselves, buskers have been enriching city streets for hundreds of years.
Locally, the law has had a shaky relationship with buskers, at time granting them autonomy, and other times placing strict control on what they can and can’t do. This includes a permit required for performing, as well as location, time, duration and volume restrictions. Do these laws create order, or are they inhibiting the ability to perform and make a living?
Today we spoke to Julia Quilter, Professor of Law at the University of Wollongong, who was part of a survey that interviewed buskers in Sydney and Melbourne CBDs, as well as enforcement officers and members of the public, for their opinion on buskers and the laws surrounding them.
Producer: Max Lewis
