Auckland poet fights for his writes against council bylaws

 

 

   

David Merritt is a beloved figure on the K'Road stretch

An Auckland poet with an unconventional way of presenting poetry on Karangahape Road says beggars have more rights on the city's streets than he does.

Auckland Council has told David Merritt to stop selling his small hand-made publications of poetry from recycled material on K'Road.

He has been selling them outside St Kevin's Arcade on the strip for seven years and is a well known figure on the street.

He launched a petition in protest after the council told him he was in breach of the city's bylaws.
"Banned by officious Auckland city council compliance redtape," he wrote on the Facebook event for a protest event.

"Standing up for my rights as a street performance artist. A beggar has more legal recourse than me."
Max Wilde, the manager of Bylaws and Compliance at Auckland Council, said they are working with Merritt to "facilitate" a way he can share his love of poetry with the public without falling foul of the city's bylaws.

The problem is that Merritt is regarded as a street trader selling his books which has rules around it, whereas if he was simply reading his poetry to passers-by he would be classed a busker, there is less redtape.


READ ON AT http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/71059446/auckland-poet-fights-for-his-writes-against-council-bylaws