Brisbane’s ‘tent cities’ to be shut down and cleared out

Brisbane’s Lord Mayor will shut down notorious homeless camps across the city, in a bid to restore safety. VOTE NOW

Homeless tents in Musgrave park, West End, Brisbane. Pic: Lyndon Mechielsen

• Editor’s view: Parks are for all
• Brisbane’s homeless debate erupts

Brisbane’s homeless camps will be shut down and cleared in a stunning directive by the Lord Mayor.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner has declared that it is time to make the city’s public parks safe again.

Cr Schrinner said council now knew the vast majority of those living in the camps – particularly at hotspots like Musgrave Park and Kurilpa Point near the Gallery of Modern Art — had been offered safe accommodation but had declined it.

Consequently, he said those living in the camps would be given 24 hours to move on.

After that council officers, supported by police, would move in and remove all the tents and other items.

■ All your housing, homelessness questions answered

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner on Thursday. Picture: David Clark

“As a community that cares, I don’t believe we should ever accept that tents in public parks are an acceptable substitute for secure and safe accommodation,” he said.

“Our parks and playgrounds should be safe spaces for everyone to enjoy.

“We won’t let Brisbane turn into the San Francisco Bay area where encampments have grown out of control and become magnets for crime, violence and illegal drugs.”

The eviction of the residents has the overwhelming support of Courier-Mail readers with 90 per cent backing the move.

■ Read our editorial on why Adrian Schrinner should be congratulated

Deputy Leader of Labor in Council, Lucy Collier, urged Cr Schrinner to reconsider his decision.

She said that instead of working to resolve the housing crisis by partnering with community organisations and providing funding for the vulnerable, the Lord Mayor’s solution was “simply to kick them out’’.

Brisbane City Council’s tent city shutdown follows a decision by neighbouring City of Moreton Bay Council to criminalise homeless camping, making it punishable with a potential fine of $806 for those who don’t heed a notice to leave, and up to $8000 if the case escalates to Magistrates Court.

Cr Schrinner said that decision – which he supports – had led to “extremely concerning” reports of homeless people choosing to travel to Brisbane instead.

“Just like our northern neighbours, Brisbane residents don’t want their parks and public spaces becoming dangerous no-go zones because of violent, aggressive and anti-social behaviour,” he said.

“I’ve asked our officers to work with police and State housing agencies to ensure anyone living in a park who has refused accommodation is moved on within 24 hours. We’ll also remove unused empty tents to prevent the creation of more dangerous encampments.

“Our Council will continue to have a compassionate approach towards people who are genuinely homeless and are seeking help.”

Acting Commissioner Shane Chelepy said police were not evicting the homeless, and just keeping the peace.

“Our role in that is to make sure that all persons, including our rough sleepers, including council employees engaging with them, are kept safe,” Mr Chelepy said.

“QPS’s role won’t be in there evicting rough sleepers, that’s not our role.”

Any fines will be issued by council, not police.

Labor had called on Council to open unused buildings and partner with organisations on emergency shelter and increase rates discounts for community housing providers to help maintain current stock, but was ignored.

Ms Collier said it was “typical’’ of the Lord Mayor to make the “cruel’’ announcement while Brisbane residents were distracted by cyclone clean-up efforts.

“Today’s announcement from the Lord Mayor is nothing but cruel and heartless,’’ she said.

“He is demonising Brisbane’s most vulnerable and hoping most people don’t find out about it because they’re distracted by the recent natural disaster. What a low act.’’

Tents at Musgrave Park in South Brisbane which has seen an escalation of fighting and unsociable behaviour according to council complaints.

Northwest Community Group president Paul Slater said only a small percentage of people living in homeless camps were actually being offered accommodation.

“I don’t want to be putting up tents, I have never wanted to be putting up tents, I don’t think it is a long-term solution. I don’t think it is safe for everybody but we are in a situation now where these people have no other option,” he said.

“The greatest lie being told right now is that everybody is being offered accommodation or the vast majority are refusing accommodation options and that is why they are staying in tents. It is actually the opposite.

“The vast majority are not being offered accommodation and a small percentage are refusing accommodation. I try to work with people who are refusing accommodation and explain to them that it is not an option to stay in parks.

“The amount of affordable accommodation in Brisbane is drastically low. I know for a fact that 140 people before the cyclone went to the state government asking for accommodation and we were told by David Crisafulli … that they have all been offered accommodation.

“Only forty of those people were able to be put into accommodation because they don’t have enough accommodation, they just don’t. And so this is the problem, it is this lie that has been continually pushed forward.

“If they had facilities and accommodation for these people I would fully support that they should not be camping in public places but they don’t and so we need to solve this problem. We really need to solve homelessness that is the issue we have here.”

Mr Slater said those living in Musgrave Park and Kurilpa Point were “just going to be moved to the next place”.

The Lord Mayor will order the removal of homeless camps in city parks. Pic: Lyndon Mechielsen

“The reason the council is doing this is because the Moreton Bay Council are doing the same thing up there. They are just going to be moved to the next place. Maybe they will move down to another state. They have nowhere to go,” he said.

“At this point, I have been giving back the tents from the cyclone that we had packed up I will continue to do that if they haven’t been given alternative accommodation.”

Mr Slater explained some of the accommodations that have been offered previously were “borderline disgusting”.

“Some of the options that they have been giving are boarding houses at $380 a week, and some of these boarding houses are borderline disgusting, there is mould everywhere. There are constant issues at boarding houses and they are so expensive at the moment.”

Nourish Street Inc. founder Beau Haywood said the repercussions of removing people living in Musgrave Park and Kurilpa Point would be quite serious.

“These are the most vulnerable members of our communities. It is families that are getting affected, individuals who fall on hard times, veterans, elderly,” Mr Haywood said.

“This is playing a big part in people’s mental health. The repercussions of this could be quite serious. Not just on the human toll, but on the community as well, as people struggle to hide from authorities to avoid a fine.

Beau Haywood of Nourish Street. Picture, John Gass

“The offer of accommodation not being accepted is a lie. I have been getting a lot of calls all morning with people saying where do I go? And I just don’t have an answer for them. There are no alternatives that have been put in place.

“People have been given no directives and they are coming to me wanting somewhere to go and I have got nowhere for them.

“It is really inhumane. There is a big misconception out there that it is people with addictions and people who want to live this way. It is an absolute lie.”

Mr Haywood said the accommodations need to be suitable for people who have been asked to leave.

“There is a big difference between being offered accommodation and being offered suitable accommodation,” Mr Haywood said.

“I have seen it countless times now – a gentleman with disabilities offered a two-storey home who had to try to climb the stairs.

“Or a woman with addiction and mental health issues offered a boarding house, that is not a good solution.

“There needs to be some thought put into what solutions are available and suitable. But unfortunately, we are not even seeing that.

“Some of the boarding houses are horrible. I can see why people may decline it if offered but a lot of people don’t decline it and they go there because the desperation and the need is real.”

Mr Haywood stressed the implications from both the Moreton Bay Council and the Brisbane City Councils’ decisions could be dire.

“I am just really concerned about the implications of what this is going to have on the community as a whole,” he said.

Tents at Musgrave Park in South Brisbane.

“It is either going to do one of two things: we are going to have a lot more breaks in, a lot more illegal trespassing on private land.

“We are going to see a lot more visibility of homelessness as people crash at bus stops and places like that.

“The other aspect of this is that when you disburse people like this, they no longer get help from the services.

“We can no longer engage with them because we can’t find them. So I think this is going to exacerbate the situation, it is going to get a lot worse before it gets better.”

Tania Allan, who was kicked out of her rental overnight, reached out to non-profit Micah Projects to help find accommodation.

She said she was concerned about the Lord Mayor’s directive to remove tents, labelling the announcement as “just wrong”.

“I mean where else are they meant to stay?” Ms Allan said.

“It should have a big impact I mean it’s just wrong.

“Each and every one of us, we have all got feelings we have all got families.

“(Micah Projects) are going to try and get me to a motel. They are going to try but I just don’t know but I will take it.”

Brisbane City Council in October last year put up covert cameras at Musgrave Park to combat rising tensions at the homeless camp amid allegations of stabbings, fires, and vandalism of electric barbecues.

The council also turned off electricity at the park, in South Brisbane, preventing people from using power outlets or public barbecues to cook food.

Cr Schrinner said Brisbane City Council would continue connecting people in need with essential support services, grant programs, and social housing through its joint ownership of Brisbane Housing Company.

Originally published as Brisbane’s ‘tent cities’ to be shut down and cleared out