Bunbury targets homeless people by repeatedly playing Wiggles song Hot Potato

The hot potato in Bunbury today is the City playing the Wiggles on a loop at a waterfront stage to deter homeless people from using it.

The Graham Bricknell Music Shell is regularly used by the homeless to gather and sleep and the City of Bunbury has resorted to repeatedly playing irritating music — the Wiggles’ Hot Potato — in a bid to drive them away.

Bunbury mayor Jaysen Miguel wouldn’t comment on why the music was being played, but said there had been recent break-ins at the music shell and tampering with the sound system had locked the music at full volume.

“The City of Bunbury has been running music on and off there for the past six months, as happens across Australia and across the world where you can have music in certain areas to deter antisocial behaviours,” he said.

“But over the last little there has been a known problem where people are getting in and turning the music up to full bore.”

It is not the first time the tactic has been used to deter the homeless and vandals from the facility. Back in 2016 — the year of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics — the City blasted Peter Allen’s I Go to Rio from the music shell.

At that time the council issued a statement saying playing music on a loop had been proven to be an effective means of deterring antisocial behaviour and vandalism.

Bunbury MLA and Disability Services Minister Don Punch said it was “inappropriate” for the City to use music to stop homeless people from using the facility.

“The fact that people are sleeping over at the Graham Bricknell shell means that we have to review what the services are doing and how we can improve them to ensure that people are getting the appropriate services,” he said.

“I am very disappointed that the music is being played and very disappointed that the issue hasn’t come up earlier so that we can take the appropriate action to try and address it.

“But playing music 24 hours a day is not a solution to homelessness.”

Homeless cafe provider Intown Centre said the tactic was “harsh” and the City “needed a better response”.

Intown Centre chair David Bailey was surprised at the council being responsible for the music.

“In the last couple of days, I have been walking around and I have heard it, but I did not think it was the council. I thought it was someone with a CD player,” he said.

“It did strike me as odd. It is harsh . . . (and) there needs to be a better response.”

Mr Bailey said it was difficult to find a solution to issues at the site.

“People have found that the shell is relatively safe and it is central, so that’s why people congregate there,” he said.

“What needs to be done is all stakeholders, not just the council, need to come together and try to address things as soon as possible.”