Squatters sleeping rough under Ringwood gateway bridge
Homeless people are sleeping rough under bridges next to two of the busiest roads in Melbourne’s east, but police don’t intend moving them on.
Outer East
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Homeless people are sleeping rough under bridges and in sheds filled with junk on Ringwood’s doorstep.
But Ringwood police don’t intend to move them on and want to help those sleeping rough find further support.
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Maroondah Leader uncovered the two new hot spots for the region’s homeless.
Mattresses, trolleys, couches, piles of cigarettes and rubbish were found at both ends of the Ringwood gateway bridge next to Maroondah Highway and EastLink.
About 100m away, an abandoned car and a vandalised shed filled with trolleys and rubbish was found next to powerlines and Hungry Jack’s.
The Council for Homeless Persons compiled a profile of homelessness in the Ringwood electorate before last month’s state election.
The report found 236 people are classified as homeless every night, as detailed in the 2016 census, with more than half in crisis accommodation.
Council chief executive president Jenny Smith said she felt the figures were “conservative”.
“People seem to think about rough sleeping as an inner city phenomenon, but I think we now know it’s happening all over the state, including in the outer suburbs,” she said.
“It should be a wake-up call when we see something like this happening in Ringwood.”
Ringwood police Senior Sergeant Colin Andrews said officers were aware of people sleeping rough at the bridge.
Sen-Sgt Andrews said it was not illegal for people to sleep on the EastLink trail and they would offer to refer any homeless people they find there to welfare agencies.
“As part of our normal patrolling we check on the welfare and wellbeing of people in the community and we will continue to do that where we come into contact with homeless people or people who are sleeping rough,” Sen-Sgt Andrews said.
EastLink spokesman Doug Spencer-Roy said VicRoads was responsible for the land underneath the bridge and had alerted them to the situation.
Maroondah Mayor Rob Steane said the council was aware of people sleeping rough in Ringwood and had been working to refer them to services including Uniting Wesley and the Salvation Army.
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