How much charity is too much? Sydney city overrun by chuggers on every street corner

CHARITY chuggers are seemingly at every street corner in Sydney’s CBD. Approached by four different groups in 10 minutes, we ask — how much is too much?

Central Sydney reporter Heather McNab ducks and weaves a charity chugger outside Central Station. Picture: John Appleyard

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CHARITY chuggers now populate almost every corner of the city.

Step outside during your lunch break and you’ll more than likely be confronted by one of the dozens of organisations which have taken up shop.

From outside train stations and bus shelters to near traffic lights, office buildings and even in the middle of park footpaths, charity chuggers are a fixture of the inner city landscape.

During one 10-minute period, I passed four charity organisations while walking between Central Station and Chinatown. I heard everything from “I like your outfit” to “high five”.

One employee followed a man after he rebuffed her attempt to engage him, continuing to talk to him despite his unwillingness to have a conversation.

Central Sydney reporter Heather McNab tries to rebuff the approach of a charity chugger. Picture: John Appleyard

Former Liberal councillor Edward Mandla said he would like to see tighter regulations around the practice in public space, which currently requires no approval from the City of Sydney.

“No one likes to be followed or harassed into a charity subscription,” Mr Mandla said.

“People have a right to go about their daily lives without hindrance — for chuggers there has to be a code (where no means no),” he said.

Former councillor Edward Mandla wants restrictions in place for charity chuggers.

Mr Mandla wants to see chuggers banned from approaching people within 3m of public transport entrances, businesses, ATMs and street crossings.

A City of Sydney spokeswoman said there were no limits set on the “number of charity organisations that can collect money or signatures, nor on the distance they must operate from each other”.

“The City has not received complaints about the number of charity collectors in the local area,” the spokeswoman said.

“The NSW Department of Fair Trading licenses charity collectors in NSW and administers the Charitable Fundraising Regulation,” a City of Sydney spokeswoman said.

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