State Housing Minister Leeanne Enoch to face tough questions in Cairns

State Housing Minister Leeanne Enoch will face tough questions when she visits Cairns on Wednesday as frustrations build over her decision to close a homeless shelter.

THE nexus between homelessness and crime and anti-social behaviour was laid bare at a business forum on crime in Cairns City.

Federal MP for Leichhardt Warren Entsch took State MP for Cairns Michael Healy to task over the state government’s closure of the Anglicare-run 40-bed Quigley St Shelter in Bungalow, opening another facility at Manunda.

“There’s no point in building infrastructure out in the suburbs if you want to address CBD homeless problems – they are not going to Uber, they’re not going to catch a taxi, it’s got to be in the city so that they can access it quickly,” Mr Entsch said.

Housing Minister Leeanne Enoch will be asked to explain why the Quigley St Homeless Shelter is boarded up. Picture: Bronwyn Farr.

“Take the boards down, undo the padlock, invest some money in it to get it up to scratch and get somebody in there that can operate it and provide a safe place where homeless can come in.”

Mr Healy said the decision to close Quigley St was made by Housing Minister Leeanne Enoch, who is visiting Cairns on Wednesday.

“I think Quigley St is a solution that we could have tomorrow, that would take a whole lot of people off the streets tomorrow night – I share the frustration and that was a decision made by the minister,” Mr Healy said.

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Guests at the event heard the Lyons St Diversionary Centre – an alternative to the watch-house for heavily intoxicated people – was increasing capacity from 36 beds to 50 beds, but that was not enough.

Assistant District Officer Superintendent Chris Hodgman provided statistics that First Nations persons were the main offenders in 2021-22 between the hours of 8pm and 4am.

Mr Healy said there were disproportionate numbers of Indigenous people offending.

State MP for Cairns Michael Healy said many offenders were victims of horrific crimes themselves and better solutions were needed. Picture: Bronwyn Farr.

“Unfortunately, that seems to be a cohort that attracts a lot of the attention – there’s no hiding, it’s not racism – all it means is we need to do more to be able to assist these people,” Mr Healy said.

He said many offenders were victims.

“These kids are too scared to go home, they have absolutely destroyed their futures with substances to hide the enormous challenges that they have to face – sexual abuse, horrific physical assaults, all these sorts of things,” Mr Healy said.

“I’d love to see better, well-resourced mentor programs among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups- look at the success of AFL house,” he said.

Originally published as State Housing Minister Leeanne Enoch to face tough questions in Cairns