‘Dead set wrong’ : Homeless react to perimeter fence

One man said it was a ‘disaster’ and another said it’s already led to incidents of graffiti tagging.

The area has been known as the 'tent city' for years.

As the fallout from the new perimeter fence around the Coffs Harbour Community Village continues, the Advocate has spoken to a number of homeless people to get their take on it.

Coffs Harbour City Council recently erected the fence around the village due to a number of security issues raised by tenants and police that were documented in a security audit.

The village is home to a number of service providers including the Neighbourhood Centre and Pete's Place.

One volunteer who wanted to remain anonymous said the fence was both heartless and pointless.

"It's so disgusting."

In four years of service, the volunteer has seen the homeless situation escalate in the last 12 months.

"And there are so many more women sleeping in their cars."

A homeless man who was accessing the services of the Neighbourhood Centre and Pete's Place at the time said the fence is a costly symbolic exercise that will only serve to alienate those in need.

"People can still come in and out, but now they have to pass through these self righteous gates. It's a complete waste of money and doesn't serve any purpose."

He went to school in Toormina and Sandy Beach, and to high school in Woolgoolga, and has been homeless on and off for years.

The area has been known as the 'tent city' for years.

For the last 12 months he has slept in various bush locations on the outskirts of town. He avoids the tent city behind the village because of the tendency for flooding and the unpredictable nature of those camping there - including ex-prisoners from Grafton and Kempsey.

This particular issue is noted in Council's safety audit report that recommended the perimeter fence.

The large electronic gates at the front of the village near the Coles carpark are yet to be installed.

The fence is just one of 16 recommendations in the report which also highlights the chronic lack of affordable and crisis accommodation in the region.

On the Neighbourhood Centre verandah where homeless people used to shelter at night before the heightened security, there are some recent graffiti tags which one man the Advocate spoke to says are in direct response to the fence.

Tagging at the Neighbourhood Centre verandah. Photo by Janine Watson

The verandah also has a number of shelves stocked with food by the local charity Ozharvest.

As the last loaves of bread were taken, two more women arrived and waited until Julie Ferguson appeared in her bright yellow van with more supplies.

An Ozharvest delivery at the Neighbourhood Centre. Photo by Janine Watson

Others waited to use the showers and washing machines at Pete's Place.

Rick Morris, who was walking up from the 'tent city' behind the village to use the washing machines, praised the volunteers but likened the fence to the loud classical music played in the alley near Woolworths.

"It's a disaster. It's dead set wrong - they've put this fence up to keep people out - like the music down at that lane. Just moving people on."

Rick Morris at the village. He is currently homeless and was at the village to use the washing machines at Pete's Place. Photo by Janine Watson.

He is originally from Taree but has family in the area. He visits the tent city during the day but at night he "lives on the streets".

Council has defended their decision to install the fence saying the safety audit report completed in May last year found there were escalating incidences of break-ins and anti social behaviour and that many staff members were feeling increasingly intimidated.

A recent incident was outlined in a letter dated February 4, from Coffs Harbour City Council's Group Leader Financial Services and Logistic Mark Griffioen:

"The most recent serious crime incident reported from the Community Village was a break and enter and ransacking of one of the offices contained within the Community Village complex within the last fortnight. It should be noted that some service providers have left the Community Village over the safety issue."

The report highlighted a number of other incidents including: injecting drug use, unsafely discarded needles, inappropriate encroachment into service user and public spaces, rubbish, graffiti, challenging behaviour linked to mental illness, environmental damage and other instances of anti-social behaviour.

The village was conceived in 1990 following a funding agreement between Council and the Department of Local Government and was officially opened in February 1992.