Homeless living in tents on vacant lot where drug house previously burnt down

SQUATTERS have set up a tent on a vacant block where a fire destroyed a notorious Gold Coast drug den. The area councillor blames someone, but it’s not the squatters.

SQUATTERS have set up tents on a vacant block in the city’s CBD that once housed a notorious drug den — but the area councillor does not lay blame on them.

The house located on the corner of Norman and North streets in Southport was destroyed in a ferocious blaze in April.

Squatters at Norman St in Southport. Picture: Jerad Williams

The 2500sq m block has been cleared and put up for sale by CBRE. In the meantime, squatters have made themselves at home.

The set-up in the back corner of the property involves at least one large tent, battened down and reinforced with an additional tarp.

Wooden palettes are set up at either side of the tent like fences, strewn with clothes and shielding passers-by from the mounds of miscellaneous items piled up at the rear.

Judging by the set-up, the occupants are here to stay. Picture: Jerad Williams

They are even using the property’s wheelie bin.

A woman is seen walking around the tent before she makes an obscene gestures and yells.

Southport city councillor Dawn Crichlow said she did not blame the people living there for resorting to these situations. She was critical of the landowner.

In her experience, such as the recently demolished flophouse on Queen St, absentee property owners are to blame for leaving sites unmonitored, contributing to creating unsafe, unsightly and unsavoury neighbourhoods.

DO YOU KNOW OF OTHER AREAS WHERE PEOPLE ARE DOING IT TOUGH? EMAIL [e-mail]

The tent is set up at the back corner of the property. Picture: Jerad Williams

The owner of this lot is JTLP OOL Investments Pty Ltd.

Their only method of contact is a postal address registered in Hunters Hill, Sydney.

Cr Crichlow said she had been in contact with the owners of the land to demand they do something about a problem that is making Southport look bad.

“Of course it is (affecting the suburb’s image),” she said.

“I’ve just written to the owner again, we’ve issued a cause notice because there are people living there.

A woman potters around the tent. Picture: Jerad Williams

“These people just don’t care because they’re not here but there are families in these neighbourhoods that are frightened.

“Interstate owners don’t give a damn, so we’re forced into this situation and to go through the legalities of show cause.

“I have been told the owners have given the police permission to remove them.

The empty block is currently for sale. Picture: Jerad Williams

“Either rent them out if they’re still in a condition to do so or he’s going to have to put up a fence to make them secure.”

CBRE declined to comment on the progress of the sale or if the tent presence was hindering a sale.

Andrew Antonopoulos, of Gold Coast Project for Youth Homelessness, said people living in tents was on the rise, but they needed community support.

“There’s more of these areas arising — people building own communities and living there for months at a time,” he said.

“There’s nowhere to go. All we can do is provide support to get them back on their feet.”