Iced-up beachfront homeless having sex in kids’ toilet near playground

A mum takes her son to the toilets at a popular beachside locaiton. As she approaches, she hears noises. What followed reveals the stark reality of the city’s ongoing homelessness battle.

About 9am on a Saturday while nippers are training at North Burleigh, two homeless people start having sex in the nearby park toilet.

A mother about to take her young son there stops after hearing noises from inside the toilet block.

She takes a photograph.

Other residents say the homeless are part of a group smoking ice throughout the day.

Fabiano Deffenti, a Miami Residents Group member, also took photographs and begins seeking answers from federal and State MPs along with city councillors.

This is the ugly side of the Gold Coast’s accommodation crisis, and two months after the homeless were dispersed residents wait nervously for the next wave of unwelcomed guests.

Mr Deffenti has sought answers for his children’s safety — and for parents of others.

He knows the Ed Hardy public toilet is 22m from the children’s playground and 125m from the North Burleigh Surf Life Saving Club.

“The toilets are regularly used by young children. I hope that nothing untoward ever happens to them,” he told the Bulletin.

He sent off the photographs and lengthy correspondence explaining that since the homeless had moved into the beachfront:

* a security guard at The Miami along with an older lady were attacked and seriously injured.

* the tables and seats next to the public barbecues are constantly occupied.

* large amounts of rubbish are found on the beach and at Mick Schamburg park.

* the toilet cubicles are blocked and the public cannot use them.

He asked all the politicians whether the behaviour in the toilet was acceptable, and if not, what solutions authorities could put in place.

“I do want this to be addressed. It’s for everyone. You want to go to the beach. It’s horrible,” he said.

Gold Coast City Councillor Pauline Young — actioned council officers and organised for extra CCTV to stop offensive behaviour in popular beachfront park.

“You will (one day) take your grandkids to the playground. Nine o’clock in the morning you will want to take them to the toilet — there are two iced up people having sex there — mate it’s not on.

“It’s not just right. I understand their predicament. I’m not saying it’s easy to solve the problem. But it can’t be just brushed under the carpet like these politicians do constantly.”

Cr Young says she “actioned the complaints straight away” and organised for patrols by park rangers.

Homeless living at the popular North Burleigh beachfront on the Gold Coast - their blankets on the foreshore fence line.

She arranged for more CCTV coverage for the area and public liaison officers to help with the homeless to find alternate accommodation.

She said she had spoken to Broadbeach and Palm Beach police about “very inappropriate behaviour” by a male park dweller.

“Whether it will last or not — they are known for taking it (the accommodation) up and turning back up again,” Cr Young said.

“I did see one lady was there yesterday morning but officers moved her on. If we are moving them from here we are just moving them somewhere else.

“I think we need to address the behaviour, because it deters residents and visitors from the parks and facilities as they were designed to be used. We have a minority destroying that for a majority of locals.”

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