A sign banning bongo drums, fire-twirling and slacklining on a Gold Coast beach has been met with criticism and outrage from locals and concern from the city’s music community.
The notice was erected in Justins Park at Burleigh Beach this week, a location famous for its Sunday gatherings of drummers and twirlers.
The sign was quickly met with ridicule as news of the notice circulated online.
"The fun police have spoilt it for lots of people. Get real and embrace diversity in our community. Poor decision 'City of Gold Coast’," one Facebook commenter said.
As the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games quickly approaches, Gold Coast Music Awards Director Samantha Morris is concerned about the council’s hasty decision to restrict the community event.
"The timing is disingenuous. Drumming at Burleigh is part of the city’s cultural tourism offering," Morris told The Music.
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate also took to Facebook yesterday, commenting that he didn’t agree with the ban and continued to say that the decision was due to "anti-social behaviour" putting children at risk.
A later update confirmed that participants would now have to apply for a permit to partake in the unofficial event that has been running for almost two decades.
"The thing with the drumming circles at Burleigh Heads is that there’s no actual organisation behind them," Morris told The Music.
"We’re investing so much in boosting the arts and culture product coming out of the city it seems counter-productive to have either a blanket ban or some administrative paperwork permit process for local artists to have to go through simply to gather in a public place."
"You already need a permit to busk across the Gold Coast. Now you need a permit to gather with friends and play some acoustic music."
Despite the proposed plan to implement permits across the board, Morris is quietly confident that this isn’t the end.
"These drumming circles have been going on for more than seventeen years," she said.
"I’m pretty sure it’ll take more than an ill-conceived sign to stop them."
Read Tom Tate's full statement below.
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