Koala Park residents say homeless people have created eyesore in creekside camp

Residents in one of the Gold Coast’s most exclusive suburbs say a popular park has been turned into a ‘junk yard’ by homeless people who urinate outside and have 3am ‘domestic fights’.

Locals living in Koala Park, neighbouring picturesque Tallebudgera Creek and where one home sold recently for almost $10m, have launched a petition to try to get the illegal campers in their ramshackle vans removed. Picture Glenn Hampson

Residents in one of the Gold Coast’s most exclusive suburbs say their “once beautiful view” is now a “junkyard” after homeless people set up a camp on prime waterfront.

Locals living in Koala Park, neighbouring picturesque Tallebudgera Creek and where one home sold recently for almost $10m, have launched a petition to try to get the illegal campers in their ramshackle vans removed.

Residents claim the homeless have been urinating in the waterfront park, bathing in the creek and “having domestic fights at 3am”.

The local councillor says while he sympathises with the residents’ plight and has been trying to fix the problem, the homeless also have “human rights”.

A group of homeless men set up camp in three vans on Awoonga Ave, opposite Tallebudgera Creek and Burleigh headland, about two months ago.

“It’s been a nightmare,” one Koala Park local said.

Koala Park sits between Burleigh Heads and Tallebudgera Creek. File picture

“People pay big bucks to live here and we’ve got these guys living here creating an absolute eyesore, using the creek as a toilet and all kinds of other bad stuff.

“There are also families come to this area to picnic in the park or enjoy the pristine beach - we shouldn’t have to put up with this.

“We’ve contacted the council and police but no-one seems to want to do anything.”

Posting on a community Facebook page recently, one resident said the situation was “not fair”.

“We all pay our rates to live in a beautiful area,” she wrote.

“They (the campers) are a nuisance and are having domestic fights at 3am. I feel for the residents who are living straight across the road who are having to put up with their once beautiful view … looking like a junk yard.”

The woman said she had seen one of the campers “urinating straight out from his van”.

“This is disgusting and shouldn’t be tolerated,” she wrote.

“Koala Park is a beautiful area and it’s being abused.”

Area councillor, Josh Martin, said his office was getting calls daily from Koala Park residents concerned about the “illegal camping”.

He said he was doing everything he could to try to resolve the problem but it was “difficult and complex”, and the council and police were “working through it”.

“I completely empathise with the residents because of the loss of public amenity,” he said.

Councillor Josh Martin said the issue was not confined to Koala Park. Picture: Glenn Hampson

“There are homeless elements to it, so the City is trying to work through that rather than just move them to another street.

“There are human rights elements when homelessness is involved, but that’s not to say it’s a good spot to be illegal camping.

“It’s not just a Koala Park issue, it’s a whole of Gold Coast and whole of country issue.

“Homelessness is only getting worse.”

Cr Martin said the Gold Coast City Council went “above and beyond” trying to solve the problem, with “public space liaison officers” visiting illegal campsites to try to connect the homeless with services.

“Ultimately we want to get them out of homelessness rather than just shift the problem to someone else’s street,” he said.

Cr Martin said frustrated Koala Park residents had launched a petition calling for action and he had pledged to present it to council.