$10m promise to transform Pinkenba into emergency housing

The state government will commit up to $10 million to convert Brisbane’s Pinkenba quarantine facility into housing for desperate Queenslanders.

• Budget pledge: $64m for homeless fix

The state government will commit $10m to convert Brisbane’s Pinkenba quarantine facility into emergency accommodation, with one of Australia’s biggest charities offering to help with its management.

Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon revealed the funding announcement after the latest housing roundtable, committing the government’s investment to make the 500-bed facility suitable for Queenslanders trying to find a home.

The government had repeatedly refused to support the conversion of the dormant site, originally proposed by Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, saying management was a federal government responsibility. But it has now committed funds to allow the site to be used as emergency accommodation.

Salvation Army state homelessness manager Aaron Pimlott said the organisation was “ready and willing to offer help in the day-to-day management of the facility as needed. We are prepared to work with all levels of government to make this a reality, with appropriate, professional case management in place.”

Mr Pimlott said the charity was seeing “more and more Queenslanders plunged into extreme poverty and forced to sleep in cars or in tents”.

Inside the Pinkenba facility which will be transformed into emergency housing.

“Whilst the Pinkenba quarantine facility is not the perfect solution, it is a safer option for people to have a roof over their heads as soon as possible,” he said.

“As the housing crisis continues to intensify, we need to look at these kinds of alternative solutions ...”

Cr Schrinner proposed converting the facility into crisis accommodation for domestic violence victims last year.

He also recently promised to invest $1m to make the facility more suitable for broader emergency accommodation.

Cr Schrinner reiterated his commitment on Wednesday, declaring the “only way to open Pinkenba as crisis accommodation is through a state government-led activation”.

“That’s what must happen to help all those people being forced unnecessarily to sleep in cars and tents while this brand-new 500-bed facility sits idle,” he said.

“Our council (has) put $1m on the table to support upgrading the facility and provide transport. Crisis accommodation is a state government responsibility and they must act.

“The federal government asked months ago for a state-led activation plan and the new Housing Minister must do her job and deliver it.”

There has been much speculation about what will happen with the facility. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier Mail

Earlier, Ms Scanlon met with stakeholders to discuss rental reforms after fears landlords would exploit annual rent rise limits by ditching tenants.

“Obviously, there are very different views by some of those peak stakeholders, but it’s important to come together and work on solutions and that’s what I’m committed to achieving,” she said.

Ms Scanlon said the government would consider the views of stakeholders, which included the Real Estate Institute of Queensland, Queensland Council of Social Service, Tenants Queensland and the Residential Tenancies Authority.

Robert Johnson, who has been on the street for about a year, said it was important to open up Pinkenba.

“I never expected myself to be in this position, but now I am,” he said.

“You don’t realise, unless you’re a man on the street living with the bare necessities, you can’t sleep at night, you’re more or less nocturnal, the safest time to sleep is during the day.

“I think ... if there’s something like Pinkenba, make it usable.”

Robert Johnson has been on the street for about a year.