A council’s drastic move to help tackle the ongoing issues posed by illegal camping and homelessness across the region has been met with immense backlash from locals who’ve deemed the decision “horrific” and “very concerning”, as the issue continues to spiral across parts of the country amid a cost of living crisis.
The City of Moreton Bay, north of Brisbane, has made amendments to a local law which from December 17, prohibits rough sleepers from having pets, allegedly in response to community complaints and safety concerns. People are also strictly prohibited from using vehicles of any kind, including caravans and campervans, for the purposes of camping except in designated campgrounds.
The area has rapidly become one of Australia’s largest “tent cities” with several public parks being inundated with rough sleepers due to the worsening housing crisis. But government officials say “concerns for public safety [have been] mounting” due to anti-social behaviour.
The issue is also rife in other regions across Queensland including Noosa Heads and Logan with an influx of travellers also to blame.
Council ‘out of touch’ with threat of $806 fines
Speaking with Yahoo News, Paul Slater, who runs the Northwest Community Group and manages a makeshift “tent city” in Musgrave Park in Brisbane’s inner-south, said the decision shows how “out of touch” council is. While he agrees the housing crisis has caused the problem, he said the latest move is not the solution.
“There’s a concerning shift in councils of all levels and their treatment of homeless people,” he said, adding “long-term homelessness” is what’s caused the “behavioural issues that we’re seeing” among some in the community.
People occupying parks in the Moreton Bay Council area received a warning letter alerting them that pets and also caravan, and other vehicles, are now prohibited. Source: Northwest Community Group
This week, campers and rough sleepers occupying public land at Gayundah Arboretum Park at Woody Point were issued a letter alerting them of the changes as part of the region’s so-called Person’s Experiencing Homelessness Camping Framework. It stated failure to comply with the compliance notice would incur an infringement penalty of $806.
Slater said council is “acting fast” and has already issued several notices to “vulnerable people” while others have to flee in fear of copping fines they simply can’t afford to pay, despite “not having anywhere to go”.
‘Really concerning’: Giving up pets ‘is not an option’
For many rough sleepers, giving up pets at the direction of the council “is just not an option”, Slater told Yahoo. “They’re a companion and for some their pets are all they have left. These changes are life-changing for a number of people sleeping rough in that area,” he lamented.
“Even the thought of losing their pets can be triggering for them, and can lead to depression and anxiety. It’s really concerning”.
Paul Slater founded Northwest Community Group which helps people experiencing homelessness across Brisbane. Source: Supplied/Paul Slater
Council has been ‘too lenient’, says mayor
Mayor Peter Flannery says the council has been “too lenient” in its policies around homeless people to date. He argues the safety of the community has been at risk in recent years. So far, council has acted on several occasions to help manage the issue — but it’s only worsened.
Council has received “hundreds of calls from residents and visitors,” about what’s been going on in public areas, Mayor Peter Flannery told the ABC. “Council takes the safety of our community very seriously.”
Illegal camping has become a major issues across parts of Queensland, including in Eagleby, Logan. Source: Courier Mail/Liam Kidston
“Recently we have seen a spate of illegal behaviour at sites including drug taking, assaults, toileting in public, fighting and use of dangerous weapons, dog attacks by animals kept off-leash in public places, alcohol abuse, illegal fires and strewn litter, as well as aggressive and antisocial behaviours towards park users and Council officers,” Flannery said in a statement last week after the council voted in favour of the harsher restrictions on rough sleepers.
“The unfortunate reality is the actions of some people has resulted in a number of our public spaces becoming too unsafe or inaccessible for residents of our City and our staff. This is unacceptable.”
The mayor said he’s “particularly concerned” about the upcoming holiday season, fearing residents and visitors won’t be able to access local parks “due to threatening behaviour”.
Defending the rule regarding pets, council said “we know the importance of animal management”. Mayor Flannery said officers have “observed on multiple occasions animals being kept in public places, not under effective control.”
“Given the high number of animals now being kept in public spaces, the level of risk to our community is unacceptable,” he said.
Addressing the influx of caravans and campervans in public spaces, he said “it’s illegal to just set up your van or camper trailer anywhere in Australia” and the Moreton Bay region is no different.
“These vehicles are having a detrimental impact on the amenity and accessibility of some public spaces, and they should be utilising dedicated caravan parks,” he said.
Noosa Council is continuing its illegal camping crackdown against tourists and rough sleepers joining many others across the country. Source: Facebook/Noosa Council
Caravan parks no longer a suitable solution
But this suggestion “just shows how out of touch they are,” Slater rebutted. “Maybe they should try and call the caravan park and see if they can even book a spot.”
Even if there are spots available, they’re often too expensive and not at all a long-term solution. A rise in local travel has also contributed to caravan parks being inundated.
“An unpowered site at a caravan park is, from my understanding, it’s at least $20 to $30 a night. So when you put that to seven times a week, that’s $210 a week,” Slater explained.
“That’s pretty much their whole income gone just on an unpowered site. It’s ridiculous. It’s not the answer”.
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