For decades, The Wiggles have brought joy to children worldwide with their catchy tunes and colourful characters. One of their most well-known songs, 'Hot Potato,' gets kids dancing and singing along.

But a council in Western Australia had been using this iconic bop to keep homeless people away from a certain spot in the city.

A popular site for music festivals in Western Australia is being used by homeless people, but, in an alleged bid to drive them away, the Bunbury Municipal Council had played 'Hot Potato' by The Wiggles on an endless loop through loudspeakers.

A spokesperson for The Wiggles said that the group was ‘deeply disappointed’ when this news was brought to their attention.

The Bunbury Municipal Council played The Wiggles’s ‘Hot Potato’ to drive away homeless people. Credit: The Wiggles

'Wiggles music is created to bring joy and happiness to children and families around the world,' the spokesperson said.

'We are deeply disappointed today to hear that it is being used in any other way,’ they added.


However, the council denied that they turned the volume up to full capacity at the Graham Bricknell Memorial Music Shell—a public stage near the centre of Bunbury.

The music shell had been used by homeless people as a shelter for over a decade.

Bunbury Mayor Jaysen Miguel said the area had attracted anti-social behaviour. He also said that playing music was a passive way to discourage people from gathering in an area and admitted that the council had been using this strategy for the past six months.

‘Graham Bricknell Memorial Music Shell is a community space where people should feel safe to visit and meet up,’ Mayor Miguel said.

He claimed that someone removed the padlock at the storage area of the shell and turned the volume to full capacity.

‘The city has since rectified this and put the music back to an acceptable level,’ he declared.

Listen to ‘Hot Potato’ by The Wiggles in the video below:

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Australia’s homelessness issue continues, and one can only hope that homeless people can be given the support they need. In a previous article, a powerful message was posted on social media that sparked the attention of people to the predicament faced by the increasing homeless population. Read more about the story here.

Key Takeaways

• The Wiggles have criticised a council in Western Australia for playing their 'Hot Potato' song to deter homeless people.
• The site of a recent music festival, which is now used by the homeless, was playing the song through loudspeakers at full capacity.
• A Wiggles spokesperson expressed deep disappointment that their music, intended to bring joy and happiness, was being used this way.
• Bunbury Mayor Jaysen Miguel defended the playing of music as a passive way to discourage anti-social behaviour.
  

What do you think of this story? Let us know in the comments below!

 

[Babybird]

I'm currently experiencing what is known as "tertiary homelessness", that is, living in a boarding house. Dependent on the others in the house, it can be heaven or absolute hell. Have gotten accustomed to it and it's better than sleeping under a bridge.

As a 64 year old, I've had my fair share of physical violence directed at me, usually by guys a half or a third of my age and bigger. Trouble is they are the ones that are on the wrong end of a hiding. I can thank my upbringing in a very rough suburb of Sydney from 1965 to 1986. My policy is not to throw the first punch but strive to throw the last one. That policy works over 90% of the time.

That is why my location in my profile is "Iceland, Victoria". Dealing with iceheads on an almost daily basis has become a hobby for me.

Agree people just don't care to know or have empathy for people in those situations

 

[Ezzy]

A Music Shell exists in Perth's (W.A.) Supreme Court Gardens where homeless people used to sleep & received breakfast in some form by the Salvation Army's Soup Run. I don't remember the City Council using such tactics on these people.

How often is this music shell in Bunbury used that the City Council finds it necessary to move these homeless people from what is possibly a safe location to one which is unsafe!