Buskers will have to audition for a spot in Melbourne city centre - as council bosses crack down on bad performers
- Buskers will now have to battle it out for a top spot in Melbourne's city centre
- New permit regulations mean buskers need to take part in a public audition
- Buskers welcomed the new guidelines but say there's room for improvement
Buskers will now have to audition for a top spot in Melbourne's city centre as the council bids to filter out less desirable performers.
In order to perform in Bourke St Mall buskers will now need to take part in a public audition, according to new permit regulations that came into effect on Wednesday.
The 10-minute audition was brought in by Melbourne City Council in an attempt to maintain quality standards and distribute performers evenly throughout the city.
Buskers will now have to audition for a top spot in Melbourne's city centre - as council bosses crack down on less desirable performers
New permit regulations that came into effect on Wednesday reveal in order to perform in Bourke St Mall, buskers will now need to take part in a public audition
Busker and moderator of Facebook group Melbourne Buskers, Dwayne Andrew told Daily Mail Australia the new rules are welcomed but there's room for improvement.
'While there is room for improvement, for the most part it's a pretty good thing,' Mr Andrew said.
Mr Andrews said one of the best outcomes of the revised busking guidelines is how the council has stopped street traders pretending to be buskers.
'They have stopped 41 different classes of activity they've deemed are not busking but are in fact street trading,' he said.
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From late June, acts such as portraiture, caricature, balloon twisting and calligraphy will no longer be classified as busking and will need to obtain street trading permits.
'Most of those activities do a bit of performance, but they're not doing it for tip. They are items for sale - it's not busking,' Mr Andrew said.
'Those people pretending to be buskers are also taking up the limited number of spots for the actual buskers for themselves, which is about 10 on Bourke Street.'
Mr Andrew said in order to be considered for a coveted spot on Bourke St applicants must have had a general permit for six months and also complete the audition.
In order to be considered for a coveted spot on Bourke St, applicants must have had a general permit for six months and also pass the audition
While the busking permits only apply to Bourke St Mall at this stage, the plan is to apply the ruling to other high-traffic locations within the city
'Potential performers then have to play an audition for the other street performers and a couple of members from the city council.'
Councillor Rohan Leppert told ABC News the new ruling will also prevent overcrowding of buskers and street traders in the other areas of the city.
'We're not trying to stop any of the people going into street trading permits from plying their trade,' Mr Leppert said.
'It is about a distribution thing, mainly. It's also about how we regulate street trading, because there's a much more commercial element to it.'
While the exclusive permits only apply to Bourke St Mall at this stage, Cr Leppert said the plan is to apply the ruling to other high-traffic locations within the city.
Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Cr Leppert for comment.
