Nambour businesses hit as homeless camps drive locals from CBD
An expanding homeless population in a Queensland town has driven businesses and residents to launch their own clean-up campaign as governments play hot potato with the issue.
A town weighed down by a homeless population booming in public parks and on a river bank have taken matters into their own hands, as the state government and local council play hot potato with the issue.
Families are avoiding public parks, and local businesses are losing trade as homeless camps in Quota Park and the Petrie Creek area continue to increase in size.
One business owner, who asked not to be named because they felt unsafe speaking out, said they struggled with the rubbish left behind.
“Every day at the back of the shop there is rubbish, poo and needles,” they said.
They said contacting the council and police got them nowhere as they said the authorities told them to clean it up themselves as it was not public property.
The size and population of the camps has visibly increased over the past few months, and the visibility of the mess has also increased.
Human faeces was observed on a public bench seat on Ann Street.
No families or children were using any of the Quota Park walkways or playgrounds.
Businesses say this is having an impact on trade, with people avoiding Nambour because they feel less safe.
Aly Faye used to own a shop in Nambour and said most businesses were impacted, but said the issue wasn’t a simple one.
“Better mental health facilities and drop in centres would probably be helpful and an information centre near the train centre because the community centre can be hard to find,” Ms Faye said.
She said the more invisible problem wasn’t the adults wandering the streets and parks, but the more vulnerable homeless teens.
Ms Faye said she’d taken some of those teens into her own home over the years.
“Some of them were still trying to make it to school,” she said.
Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli said Sunshine Coast Council remained committed to working with all levels of government and local organisations to address homelessness in Nambour with compassion and urgency.
“Council is exploring all viable options, including temporary safe spaces with access to wraparound support services, in collaboration with state agencies,” Mayor Natoli said.
“We recognise this is a state government issue, and as a council we stand with our community in finding solutions that maintain safety for residents and people experiencing homelessness,” she said.
She acknowledged the impact on the community and said they remained focused on options and finding alternatives, but said there was “no quick fix”.
State Member for Nicklin Marty Hunt said the solution to the problem was one that laid in council’s hands.
He said it was only in council’s power to stop people camping on public land, and that council was reluctant to move people on without an alternative for the homeless.
Mr Hunt said the state government was working to find alternative housing and solutions that were accepted by the homeless population, to help council make that step.
“That might be helping them camp on state or council land that isn’t a community facility like Quota Park,” he said.
The mess around town has driven locals to do something about it themselves.
The Nambour Big Spring Clean last week saw more than 100 volunteers hit the Nambour CBD to clean up rubbish and graffiti.
Sunshine Coast Division 10 Councillor David Law said the clean-up was organised by himself, Rhonda Billet from I Am Nambour, Mark Bray from the Nambour Chamber of Commerce and local MP Marty Hunt.
“The day was a huge success, with many people coming out to clean up the town square and centre of town,” Mr Law said.
“The community spent Sunday picking up litter, cleaning the streets, cleaning up graffiti, and cleaning up along Petrie Creek as part of our big spring clean.”
