‘Live in filth’: Queensland residents erupt over homeless camp

A homeless encampment has sparked community outrage after a “once beautiful” lookout has turned into a “dumping ground”.

A homeless encampment in Queensland has sparked outrage among locals after a “once beautiful” lookout spot has been turned into a “disgusting” scene strewn with litter and shopping trolleys.

Residents of Moreton Bay have erupted after tents, dumped rubbish, trolleys, furniture and clothing were spotted at Gayundah Coastal Arboretum at Woody Point, 40km north of Brisbane.

A photo of the site was shared on social media, with residents quick to slam the “foul” behaviour and argue there is no excuse not to keep the area tidy.

“Seriously how hard is it to show some respect and keep your area tidy. I feel for those who are struggling but this is appalling,” one person wrote.

“There’s no excuse to have their sites look so disgusting have some pride and keep the area clean and tidy,” said another.

“I feel so sorry that life has resorted to this for them, but at the same time it’s not hard to keep a camp clean and tidy,” another added.

“Tents are OK. times are tough. Rubbish however,” another comment read.

“Human dumping ground … seriously there is no reason to live in filth,” said another.

The “disgusting” site was slammed on social media. Picture: Facebook

However, others came to the defence of those experiencing homelessness – which affects about 120,000 people around the country.

“Honestly it just looks like a place were someone is living,” one person wrote.

“Could we all send pics of our own yards before we start picking on other people,” said another.

“It’s actually really sad to see people, families etc having no other option but to live in a tent,” another added.

Council ‘appalled’

Moreton Bay Mayor, Peter Flannery has condemned the “disgusting behaviour” saying it “cannot continue.”

“When public spaces are misused, resulting in serious health and safety risks, and destruction of property, we will unequivocally act to protect the broader community and Council assets,” Mr Flannery said in a statement provided to news.com.au.

“Of primary concern has been the serious assaults on staff, residents and those who assist people experiencing homelessness with food deliveries and other supports.”

“We are appalled that the once beautiful Gayundah Coastal Arboretum site is now strewn with garbage, and a public site that locals fear to visit.”

Mayor Peter Flannery said the issue is a safety concern. Picture: David Clark

Mr Flannery said the council recently conducted a public health review of the site and will work with people experiencing homelessness and support organisations to respond to the issue.

“We are aware the area will need to be cleared, and the site rehabilitated in the near future, at an enormous cost to Council,” he said.

“The demise of our public spaces is of grave concern, and it is ridiculous that Council requires police escorts to just maintain our parks.”

“To be clear, this is not about the complex issue of homelessness; this is about public health and safety in City of Moreton Bay.”

Mr Flannery said homelessness costs local ratepayers over $2 million per year, just in operational costs.

He said the council does not have statutory powers to move people on from public spaces.

“People experiencing homelessness can only remain on public land while awaiting emergency assistance, that is managed by the State Government and comply with various responsibilities set down by Council. These include not impeding reasonable access by other community members and Council officers undertaking their duties, not conducting illegal behaviour and keeping the area clean, safe and tidy.”

Three million at risk of homelessness

The site isn’t the first homeless encampment to crop up in Aussie neighbourhoods, as the nation continues to grapple with a rising cost-of-living crisis and high rents.

A landmark study released last year, revealed three million Aussies are at risk of homelessness, an increase of almost 1.9 million in the past few years.

The Call Unanswered report released in November by Impact Economics surveyed specialist homelessness services across Australia over two weeks in September 2024.

The report found that between 2016 and 2022 the number of people at risk rose from 1,174,465 to 3,040,362,

It also noted the number of people already homeless and needing support had increased in every state between 2018/19 and 2023/24 – NSW (up 24 per cent), Queensland (up 20 per cent), Western Australia (up 24 per cent), South Australia (up 16 per cent) and Northern Territory (up 56 per cent).

With demand for services increasing, providers were forced to turn away families 21 per cent of the days surveyed, while individuals were turned away 51 per cent of the time.

Homelessness Australia CEO Kate Colvin said homelessness services simply don’t have the staff to support everyone in need.

“This means opportunities to help people avoid homelessness are missed and people go longer without support or miss out entirely, making the path out of homelessness longer, more brutal and less likely to succeed,” she said in a statement last year.

Originally published as ‘Live in filth’: Queensland residents erupt over homeless camp