Homeless ‘township’ to be moved on from under Brisbane’s Kuripla Bridge

HOMELESS people could be forcibly moved on from staying underneath Brisbane’s Kurilpa Bridge to avoid another incident where someone is murdered, Lord Mayor Graham Quirk claims.

Sophie Collombet.

HOMELESS people could be forcibly moved on from staying underneath Brisbane’s Kurilpa Bridge to avoid another incident where someone is murdered, Lord Mayor Graham Quirk claims.

Cr Quirk said council had been working with government agencies to relocate a group of homeless people into appropriate housing from camping underneath inner-city bridge that links the CBD to South Brisbane.

“We’ve been trying to do this in a way that will be effective in way of transition into housing,” Cr Quirk said. “But people have got to be willing to do that – and that’s the issue.”

French university student Sophie Collombet was murdered near the bridge on a rainy night in March 2014 while walking home along a footpath that ran alongside the Brisbane River.

Benjamin Milward pleaded guilty to her rape and murder last week in Supreme Court two weeks before he was meant to stand trial. He had been staying at an Ozcare Hostel a few blocks from where Ms Collombet was murdered.

Cr Quirk said there had been a “growing number of people that are building almost a little township” under the bridge.

“I am very sensitive to the fact that this was the location where Sophie Collembet was murdered,” Cr Quirk said. “And I do not want to see an area where there is a high movement of people along that corridor put at any risk whatsoever.

“Now I’m not suggesting that any of the homeless people in that location would do that. But I am just sensitive to that fact that if a second incident were to occur, I would be held responsible.

“I’ve got a duty of care to the people of Brisbane, and we are doing all we need to do in terms of the transitioning.”

Cr Quirk said homeless people would be likely moved into appropriate housing within days.