Monash Mayor Rebecca Paterson demands to meet with Lord Mayor about homeless issue

LORD Mayor Robert Doyle is being blamed for pushing homeless people out of Melbourne CBD into municipalities.

A generic image of a homeless person. Supplied image.

MAYOR Rebecca Paterson is blaming the City of Melbourne’s tough stance on the homeless for a rise of rough sleepers in Monash.

Cr Paterson said homelessness had increased as a direct correlation of Lord Mayor Robert Doyle’s decision to clean-up the CBD by amending the Activities Local Law 2009.

Cr Paterson said 13 people have been found sleeping rough in Monash in the past two months.

“We are very concerned that pushing people out of the centre of Melbourne is pushing people away from the support services that are there to help them,” Cr Paterson said.

“Rough sleepers who arrive in Monash from other areas including the CBD face significant challenges and so does council in providing support to them.”

Cr Doyle said he was disappointed the resolution had passed without discussing it with him first, and was ready to chat at any time.

“I don’t think it’s a reason to oppose a City of Melbourne by-law on the grounds that homeless people may remain in their suburb of origin in the City of Monash or the City of Port Phillip,” he said.

“On first reading, it looks as though these municipalities are saying it’s perfectly acceptable for people to sleep rough in the City of Melbourne but it’s certainly not acceptable for them to sleep rough in the municipality where they have come from.”

Cr Doyle was subject of a homeless protest outside his home on Saturday, March 25.

Cr Paterson said she would advocate for outreach services to be set up in Monash to help, as the person’s last residential address determined where they could get support.

“We are providing the support we can ... but if we see an large increase in people sleeping rough, it will put a strain on our resources,” she said.

While it is not illegal to be homeless or sleep rough on the streets of Melbourne, it is illegal to camp in a public place.

The City of Port Phillip has been contacted for comment.

Anyone who needs a homeless support service should phone [phone]