Buskers fail to strike a chord with everyone

Drifting Circus performers Kristelle Beauparlant and Diogo Maia are restricted from busking for more than three hours a week without three references. Photo / Christine Allen

Whangarei District Council has not entirely succeeded in its quest to banish all buskers of dubious talent with shoppers and business people saying the talent in the CBD still ranges from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Street performers have to apply for a permit if they want to busk for more than three hours each week, under the revised bylaw which came into effect in October. The $10 permit requires buskers to have three businesses who can vouch for their prowess. The move was an attempt by council to reduce public nuisance.

Whangarei District Council bylaw co-ordinator Mike Henehan said at the time "preferred busker" status was reserved for those displaying "greater talent and professionalism". He said the policy has worked well, with City Safe staff keeping an eye on those breaching their time limit. Since the policy came into effect, no buskers had been fined or prosecuted, he said.

But shoppers and retailers approached by the Northern Advocate are not convinced that all the busking talent on display is worthy of their pitch.

The policy was criticised by Jimi Hart, a staple of Whangarei's street performance scene, who said at the time it would put professional buskers off travelling to the city. Mr Hart has been a professional busker for more than 30 years and gained "preferred" status almost immediately, in October last year.

"Who can call themselves a good critic of what makes a good street performance? A young person may want to sing rap ballads. They shouldn't be treated any differently from country and western and rock singers like me," he said.

For several months members of the Drifting Circus " a group of performers who sail the globe and are moored in Whangarei " have been making their presence felt in Cameron St Mall with their busking exploits.

-The Advocate took to the streets in an attempt to learn whether Whangarei's buskers have talent " we were met with lukewarm reviews.