Brisbane City Council passes motion to again call for quarantine centre to be used for homeless

The Brisbane City Council has passed Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner’s motion to again call for the government to use the Pinkenba quarantine centre to be used to help the homeless.

Brisbane City Council has passed a motion to again call on both the state and federal government to allow the empty Pinkenba quarantine centre to be used as crisis accommodation for the city’s growing homeless population.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner put forward the motion during Tuesday’s council Meeting, asking council members to put party politics aside and vote to help rehome 500 desperate residents.

“Residents of Brisbane are witnessing a level of homelessness that we have not seen in a very long time, and certainly not something that I’ve witnessed in my time as a Brisbane resident,” he said.

“Seeing people living in cars, sleeping in tents, seeing people sleeping rough.

“The people who are homeless right now are people who, in many cases, are just ordinary Brisbane residents and have fallen on difficult times circumstances have conspired to see them without a roof under their head over their head and this is something that requires action, not only in the medium term in the long term, but right now.

“There are 500 beds available right now. And at the moment, the only residents in the quarantine facilities are insects and spiders.”

Pinkenba Quarantine centre. Picture: Brisbane City Council.

The Council first called for the 30ha Pinkenba accommodation to be repurposed last July.

Fresh calls follow the upcoming closures of both Big Bird Backpackers in the City and Clivedeen Mansions in Spring Hill, which Council predicts will leave up to 110 people without a roof over their head.

During the meeting, Mr Schrinner said an idea put forward at the State Housing Summit last year to use spare buildings at the Griffith University campus as temporary accommodation, had fallen through.

He said the Pinkenba centre could be similarly used to quickly ease the housing crisis.

“That (Griffith University facility) was something that was welcomed because it could be activated relatively quickly,” he said.

“We have since heard that the state government has decided not to proceed with that Griffith University option and instead they’ve decided to buy a number of houses on the private sector.

“If you look at the list of where those houses are being purchased, the vast majority are outside of Brisbane.”

Opposition Leader Jared Cassidy accused the Lord Mayor of falling back on old ideas to address the housing crisis, before admitting Labor would be supporting the motion.

“It’s been 277 days since the Lord Mayor came up with his first idea. And it’s still his only idea,” he said.

“The Lord Mayor could increase rates discounts given to community housing providers to assist them in maintaining their current stock.

“The Lord Mayor could decrease infrastructure charges and application fees.

“We support this one idea, but we continue to call ... on this lazy LNP administration to start doing some work.”

Opposition leader Jared Cassidy accused Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner of falling back on old ideas to address the housing crisis at Tuesday’s Brisbane City Council meeting, before admitting Labor would be supporting his motion. Picture: Richard Walker

Mr Schrinner responded by stating the council was progressing all 26 initiatives presented in the housing and homelessness strategy.

Following rigorous debate over the council’s action or inaction towards the housing and homelessness crisis, council members unanimously voted to pass the Pinkenba motion.

Earlier Tuesday, Mr Schrinner had again called for the Pinkenba quarantine centre to be used to house the homeless.

“It’s obvious that the current housing crisis is forcing more and more people, including women and children, onto Brisbane’s streets,” Mr Schrinner said.

“It’s clear the issue isn’t going to be solved overnight.

“From the city to our suburbs, people are being forced to sleep rough in locations and numbers never seen before.

“People living in cars and tents isn’t a solution. It’s giving up.”

In March, the federal government confirmed it would not use Pinkenba for emergency accommodation because of concerns the centre was too far from necessary support services. The site will be used by the Australian Defence Force instead, and will be used during emergencies – such as for a natural disaster.

Mr Schrinner suggested it was “absurd” for the federal government to say it would use Pinkenba for future natural disasters, but not during the “current housing disaster”.

“Our council stands ready to offer whatever services we can, like our buses, mobile library and council cabs,” he said.

“Today in council, we will be putting forward a motion calling for the state and federal government to open Pinkenba as emergency accommodation.

“Issues like homelessness should be above politics and I hope all councillors will support this important cause.”