Council says its hands are tied when it comes to homeless people camping illegally

Despite no camping signs — this man has been set up on this beach north of Brisbane for two years and the local council says there is nothing it can do about it.

A man has been illegally camping at Woody Point for more than two years, according to one resident.

Homelessness is a growing issue on the Redcliffe Peninsula but the Moreton Bay Regional Council says it has done all it can to help the man who has called Progress Park home for the past two years.

According to data collected by the Australian Bureau of Statistics the number of homeless people in Moreton Bay rose from 740 in 2011 to 1166 in 2016.

A Peninsula resident, who wished to not be named, said he has been trying to resolve the issue for more than two years but “no ones wants to do anything about it”.

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The temporary campsite is set up at Progress Park at Woody Point, near Redcliffe.

The resident said in the past the man had been aggressive towards others and that locals were forced to avoid the area.

A resident claims this man has been camping at Progress Park for more than two years.

“Illegal camping and homelessness is a major issue on the Peninsula and the situation doesn’t seem to be getting addressed,” he said.

A Moreton Bay Regional Council spokesman said the council had received multiple illegal camping complaints from a resident in relation to a person at Scotts Point.

“Where individuals are identified as experiencing homelessness, Council refers their cases to local support services and the responsible agency, Department of Housing and Public Works,” the spokesman said.

“They are not issued with infringements for illegal camping during this referral process.

“Council continues to liaise with the responsible agency, Department of Housing and Public Works, about the provision of appropriate temporary or long term accommodation for this person.”

The spokesman said between January and June this year council had referred 21 people experiencing homelessness to the Department of Housing and Public Works — 10 of these people now have a home.

Council has in the past been criticised for issuing parking infringement notices to people sleeping in their cars at Pelican Park, Clontarf.

The council spokesman would not comment on how many infringement notices had been issued for illegal camping this year.

Earlier this year the group working to establish a homeless drop-in centre on the Peninsula disbanded — after not being able to find a suitable location to build a facility.

The Department of Housing has been contacted for comment.