A draft bylaw proposing substantial changes to busking and street vending in Queenstown - including newspaper stands - will go out for public consultation early next year.
Queenstown Lakes district councillors approved the draft Control of Trading and Obstructions in Public Places Bylaw 2010 at their meeting yesterday.
The existing bylaw was due to be reviewed last year but a draft written by Lakes Environmental was rejected by councillors in November 2008.
A council working party was set up to complete a new draft bylaw, which was presented to councillors yesterday.
It says activities in public places including trading, promotion, street performers and events must still hold a permit but be subject to some new conditions.
Mobile traders must trade at least 100m from any retail premises selling similar products and relocate every 20 minutes at least 100m from their previous location.
Mobile food traders must not return to the same location within 24 hours.
Buskers must move location every hour or take 30 minutes break between performances.
They must move if "justifiably" asked to do so by an adjacent business owner or resident.
Council will ask buskers to move if any noise or obstruction complaints are received.
The draft bylaw suggests areas for busking including Earnslaw Park, Marine Parade and the Village Green.
However, buskers would be allowed to perform anywhere provided they did not interrupt the flow of pedestrian traffic or cause nuisance to surrounding businesses.
The draft bylaw also puts restrictions on containers for distributing newspapers.
It says containers need permits and should have no adverse effects on pedestrian access and safety in public places and must "sympathise with the overall street scene".
They must also provide information beneficial to the general public.
Submissions will be open to the public from January 9 to February 15.
A hearings panel of Crs Lyal Cocks and Cath Gilmour will hear submissions and then make recommendations to council by March 30.
A final form of the bylaw will come into effect on April 19.
