Housing crisis Qld: Tent cities in southeast mapped

Full-time worker Sharni Gray is the shock new face of Queensland’s homelessness crisis, living with her mum in a tent in a park. MAP AND VIDEO: Must-see tent cities investigation

Clusters of flimsy tents, clothes hanging from trees and tarps providing scant shelter from the rain – this isn’t a camping holiday – this is the reality for hundreds of people sleeping rough who never thought they would be homeless.

An investigation by The Courier-Mail has uncovered more than 20 makeshift campsites and tent cities across South East Queensland, some in parks or in low lying areas, under bridges or hidden among trees.

Inside these vulnerable shelters are heartbreaking stories of ordinary people.

Some have lost their jobs, others have broken up with partners and have no where else to go. There are workers who hold down jobs but have had rental applications rejected more times than they can count. People with pets and parents with children they feed under camp lights and dress for school in the morning.

YOUNG WORKER ON THE STREETS

Sharni Gray, a 20-year-old full-time nursery worker, is homeless for the first time in her life.

Sharni was living with her sister but was forced to sleep rough near Apex Park at Deception Bay after her sister moved to a smaller place and had no room for Sharni and her dogs.

“Never in my lifetime did I ever think (I’d be homeless) but like, it’s opened my eyes a bit,” Sharnie said.

“Like, seeing everyone else down here and like meeting just how many people are out here.”

Sharni is living on the street with her mother, Zelda Gray, who was forced to leave the caravan park she was living in because of a new ban on dogs.

Homeless Sharni Gray with her mother Zelda Gray at their camp in a park at Deception Bay, Brisbane. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier Mail

In the first few days of living on the streets Sharni and Zelda’s tent and all of their belongings were drenched. A stranger helped them a day later and gave them a camper trailer tent.

Zelda said sleeping rough was “horrible” and shocking experience for them both.

“It’s a big shock like when it hits you, it hits you hard.

“But yeah, I’ve had my breakdown, and Sharn’s had her breakdown, but I’m sure there’s plenty more to come.”

INSIDE THE TENT CITIES
The Courier Mail visited tent cities in Rothwell, Redcliffe, Woody Point, Beenleigh, Eagleby, Deception Bay and Shorncliffe.

Some sites have up to 30 temporary shelters while at Mckillop Park at Rothwell in the Premier’s electorate there are up to 30 people living in about 10 tents.

The Courier-Mail revealed on Saturday the tent city in Premier Steven Miles’s electorate was booming despite his promise last month to offer a roof over the heads of every Queenslander.

At this park are a number of families with children, some of whom chose a tent over crisis accommodation they found more unsafe.

Tent city at Mckillop Park at Rothwell in the Premier’s electorate on April 17, 2024. Picture: John Gass

Fill Your Cup volunteer Toni Farrar whose services cover Rothwell and Redcliffe said increasing numbers of people were sleeping rough.

“What we are seeing down here at the moment (is) single mums with children are sleeping in cars because they don’t want to be set up anywhere in case they have to flee at a moment’s notice,” she said.

Fellow volunteer Sandy Ford said she has noticed the demographics of homeless people had shifted.

“We’ve got single guys … their relationships have gone wrong, and their girlfriends or boyfriends have kicked them out of the house. So they have nowhere to go,” she said.

“We’ve got veterans that are sleeping in their vehicles as well. We’ve got people that have two incomes and can’t even afford to pay the rent or pay the increase of food and just living expenses.”

Tent city at Gayundah Coastal Arboretum in Woody Point Wednesday. Picture, John Gass

The Courier-Mail visited the “overnight stay area” at the end of Reisers Rd at Beenleigh and found a collection of self-contained vehicles and about 20 tents scattered around a lagoon.

At Shorncliffe Public Boat Ramp, at least 11 tents and caravans are scattered along the river, parked cars are holding people’s most valuable belongings and outside, clothes dry on trees.

Just down the road at Curlew Park another seven tents are pitched, with a handful of people mingling as they eat their breakfast.

Early one morning at Apex Park in Deception Bay people can be seen sleeping in cars, others have caravans, while single tents are dotted around the grass.

Part of a homeless camp in Deception Bay, Brisbane. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier Mail

A woman in her 70s sleeping rough at the park spoke of her distress of becoming homeless five years ago when her husband died.

She wished to remain anonymous as her children do not know she is homeless.

“I try to be strong when they ring, I tell them white lies because I don’t want them upset. I tell them I’m good but I’m frightened, I’m getting anxiety and I’m crying,” she said.

“I have tried a couple of shelters, but … it’s pretty rough in some of them.”

She was sleeping in her car near the Eagleby Wetlands before a tree branch fell on it while she was asleep then, after being donated a gazebo tent, she was attacked by a group of teens and relocated to Beenleigh.

Tents in Curlew Park, Shorncliffe. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

The Eagleby Wetlands tent city sits behind a wastewater treatment place and appeared separated into two distinct groups tourists in campervans occupy one carpark. While at the Oliver Sports Precinct oval another carpark is surrounded by tents of homeless. The Courier Mail approached a group of people talking around a table but they warned against spending too long there.

A man was stabbed in the middle of the night just weeks prior and had rattled everyone living there.

A young couple said they had recently returned to sleeping a tent here after being placed in unsuitable emergency accommodation at Slacks Creek.

“We had no fire exit, it wasn’t really clean, there were mice in the walls but we could deal with that, it was a roof and better than sleeping in a car, we were stoked,” the man said.

But he said he had to leave because children were banned from visiting the complex because of some of the other residents.

Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon said no matter where a person may be sleeping rough, their teams and specialist homeless organisations were ready to offer support and accommodation.

“They’re out on the ground regularly, and if they see someone or get reports of people needing help, they’ll take action,” she said.