Southport homeless tent city: Gold Coast police and council move crack down on Carey Park camping

Police and council staff have evicted several homeless people from the tent city in a picturesque Southport park. It comes as Bulletin readers questioned where the homeless will go. SEE THE VIDEO

SEVERAL homeless people evicted from a picturesque Southport park are now in “alternative housing”, according to a Gold Coast City councillor.

The group were living in Carey Park – in what had been dubbed a tent city – when they were removed by council staff and police on Friday morning.

Southport park today.

It follows a Bulletin report last week which revealed a planned crackdown on illegal camping.

There were just a handful of what had been 7-8 tents left by the time workers arrived, and those who had been living in the park gathered their belongings and were moved on.

Those on scene declined to comment but watched on with one worker remarking: “This is getting a bit routine now.”

Other council staff loaded several unoccupied tents and abandoned trolleys into trucks.

Rookie councillor Brooke Patterson said she had worked with the Department of Housing to ensure those living in the park had somewhere else to go before being evicted.

Southport park today.

“What was different about the approach (to homelessness) this time was a formalised approach from the Department of Housing,” she said.

“Now that we’ve identified that, we’ve made it clear that we’re not accepting people living in tents. It will not be accepted going forward.

“They’re in housing, it’s not like we’re just moving them somewhere else.

“Some are going straight into permanent housing, some are going into temporary housing and there’s even the offer of hotel housing from COVID funding while they identify long-term places.

“We do have a couple homes coming up that will be permanent housing in the next couple of months.”

EARLIER: September 23

A HOMELESS camp in a Southport parkland is set to be dismantled by council this week but the issue has left many Bulletin readers asking: “Where will they go?”

Dozens of people, sleeping in tents and storing their belongings in shopping trolleys, will be turfed out of waterfront Carey Park on Friday.

Bulletin reporters visiting the site on Wednesday morning noted many of the tents had already been removed, with just three left in the park compared to seven late last week.

A council insider told the Bulletin there would be “zero tolerance” for illegal camping ahead of the crackdown.

Many of the tents seen here have already left the area.~

But readers have been left scratching their heads on the issue, wondering just where those living in the park and on the streets will move to.

A Bulletin post asking social media for its thoughts was seen by more than 40,000 people and received 318 comments.

Facebook user Yoshi Suzuki wrote: “I live in Southport, very close to where homeless people are having a party under the trees.

“Yes, something needs to be done, but shoving them away doesn’t solve the issue.”

Others echoed his concerns, among them Jenny Black.

“There is a problem but where are they going to go?” she wrote.

“I’ve seen a lot more elderly homeless in Southport and it’s pretty sad. It’s not really the homeless that’s the problem.

“It’s the drug addicted scary group and the teenagers in groups that you need to be worried about.”

EARLIER: August

THE homeless are about to be turfed out of one of the Gold Coast’s most picturesque waterfront locations after a frustrating stand-off over several months with authorities.

The Bulletin has counted at least seven tents at Carey Park, Southport, fronting the Southport Broadwater where dozens of people have camped, storing their belongings in shopping trolleys, setting up couches and even gym equipment.

Tents in Carey Park near vehicles parked at Southport on the Gold Coast.

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In an absurd situation, council lawn contractors in the early morning have had to navigate their rider mowers around the sleeping homeless as they cut the grass for the CBD’s prime parkland and once favoured site for a global tourism hub.

A council insider told the Bulletin: “We will find them public housing. Those people will be cared for, but there will be zero tolerance for people illegally camping in council parks.”

New Southport councillor Brooke Patterson, who has spent months since the March election talking to stakeholders, the homeless and city officers, said the crackdown would occur next Thursday.

A tent in Carey Park at Southport near a parking station.

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She said council officers, police, the Department of Housing and Uniting Care would meet with the homeless and conduct one-on-one interviews.

The homeless are aware it is illegal to camp in the park but when approached by police have stood their ground and argued under new human rights legislation that they have rights to stay in their tents.

“It is vital we consider the needs of residents and business owners,” Cr Patterson said. “Residents of Huntington Apartments (across the road from the park) should not be expected to put up with anti-social behaviour including public defecation and intimidation on their doorstep.

“Urgent action for those living rough is required. That is why the council have sought immediate action from the Department of Housing to accommodate the Carey Park rough sleepers.

Southport-based city councillor Brooke Patterson — taking action to clean up the CBD.

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“The department will set up in the park over the next week to process all those needing accommodation, in partnership with Uniting Care.”

Cr Patterson said the department had given council an undertaking that “no rough sleepers will be in the park by Thursday next week”.

“Council will uphold our city laws on no camping in public spaces. We thank the police and other agencies for their actions. The CBD will be clean and safe.”

Tents in Carey Park facing the Broadwater Parklands on the Gold Coast.

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Volunteer welfare workers estimate there are a hard core group of about 80 to 100 homeless people in Southport.

While some of the rough sleepers had genuine mental health issues, the volunteers know some are criminals.

“We had breakfasts at 6am for them. Some would turn up drunk. They would turn up on drugs. The police would be chasing them because they were shoplifting,” a volunteer said.

The belongings of homeless people in Carey Park opposite the Broadwater Parklands.

“This is all about their freedom. They don’t want to be controlled by the government and be in public housing. They want a bottle of wine at 10 o’clock in the morning. You can’t have drugs in public housing.”