Council Managed Sites for Busking & Street Stalls
Council has 5 designated sites on public footpaths that can be booked (through Council's online booking system) for free for busking and street stall activities.
Please Note: Busking
does not
include activities such as begging, advertising, promotion of or sale of goods, political rallying, religious spruiking, artists displays and face or body painting and are therefore not allowed.
Council does not look after busking or street stalls that occur on private property.
If you are a performer or a Community group wishing to book a designated Council space, you must agree and abide by the Conditions of Approval.
Public Liability Insurance Requirements
Buskers and Community Group stall holders must obtain their own Public Liability Insurance (for a minimum amount of $5 million) before booking a site. The insurance must cover the booking use, legal liability to the public in respect of personal injury, and include Coffs Harbour City Council as an interested party on the policy.
Applicants are required to keep a copy of the required insurance available at all times when using designated sites. This insurance must be presented for inspection upon request of any officer of Council.
Book Online Now
Yes. Council issues a booking confirmation for busking and street stalls (within the designated sites) via our online booking portal.
To apply for a site you need to book an available site via our online booking portal. Applicants must agree and abide with the Conditions of Approval prior to completing their booking.
No. There are no fees or charges associated with the booking of designated sites for busking or street stalls.
No. Buskers are not required to audition. Council reserves the right to withdraw or refuse a booking at any time if the Conditions of Approval are not met.
Council has allocated 5 sites within the Local Government Area (LGA) that buskers and community groups are able to book.
To busk or hold a stall outside of one of the designated areas a request will need to be submitted
in writing to Council specifying the exact location for determination by Council.
- Site 1* - City Square, Harbour Drive, Coffs Harbour Site
- Site 2**- City Square, Harbour Drive, Coffs Harbour
- Site 3 - 38 First Avenue, Sawtell
- Site 4 - Cnr of Beach and Nightingale Streets, Woolgoolga
- Site 5 - Cnr of Beach and Nightingale Streets, Woolgoolga
*Busking only **Community Groups only
Council only manages busking and street stalls on Council-owned or managed areas, such as footpaths. If you wish to busk or book a site at a shopping centre you will need to get permission from the shopping centre management.
Please note: The laneway situated next to Woolworths in Park Avenue is not a designated busking/street stall site. This area is a thoroughfare and has been deemed not appropriate for site bookings.
Buskers can book a site for a maximum of 3 hours, with a maximum of 3 bookings per week in one site.
A Community Group can book a site for a maximum of 6 hours with a maximum of 3 bookings per annum in one site.
You can report this by
contacting Council via email or phoning on (02) 6648 4000.
Please provide detailed information (including photos if possible) so Council can take the appropriate action.
Yes. Council can issue on-the-spot fines of $220.00 for busking without approval or breaching Conditions of Approval. Council can also cancel bookings or refuse bookings due to previous breaches.
Yes. As part of Council’s Conditions of Approval buskers under the age of 18 years must have parental/legal guardian consent.
Buskers under the age of 16 years must be supervised by a parent or guardian at all times.
A community group is a type of group or organisation created to provide benefit to members of our local community. Not-For-Profit describes a group or organisation in which donations received are used in pursuing the organisation’s objectives and to keep the group running. Sites can be booked by these groups to promote information that will benefit the local community or raise money for members of the local community. This could include raffles for sporting clubs or other groups providing information for mental health awareness within the region.
Paid fundraising agencies seeking donations, including agencies that are working on behalf of a Not for Profit organisation are excluded from booking these sites. This decision has been made as our community finds these activities impact negatively on pedestrians, shoppers and local businesses.
