Homeless families competing with travellers for Tablelands tent sites
Homeless families are waiting for a spot on the Tablelands’ popular caravan sites as the rental crisis leaves people with nowhere to live. HOW TOURISM BOSSES ARE REACTING
Cairns
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CARAVAN parks on the Tablelands, already at capacity, are having to put desperate families on to wait lists as accommodation providers grapple with striking a balance between travellers and homeless people in need.
The rising cost of living leading to increased rents combined with an affordable housing shortage is driving vacancy rates to 0.2 per cent in Atherton and surrounds.
People living in cars are going from car park to car park each night to avoid being moved on.
Families are living in the backyards of friends and those less fortunate are forced into caravan parks with only a tent over their heads, during some cold nights on the Tablelands.
Church congregations have called for donations of tents, gas cookers and sleeping bags to meet a demand that Sue Garland said she has never experienced in her seven years of volunteering with Vinnies.
“It has gained momentum from January this year,” she said.
“We have assisted families into caravan parks, and some of them were there five months.
“I can think of one single parent at the moment who’s been living with his daughter for seven months in a car.
“It’s not an ideal situation to have to get ready, dressed and everything in the car making public use of public facilities.
“And the caravan parks have wait lists.”
The president of the St Joseph’s conference encompassing areas such as Malanda, Millaa Millaa and Yungaburra said a social stigma attached to not have anywhere to live meant homelessness on the Tablelands was a hidden issue impacting hundreds of families.
“The three main things are the shelter, food and safety and as a parent if you feel you can’t provide that I can’t imagine how they are feeling,” she said.
“They really do try to stay under the radar. I know of a number of them who are sleeping rough just in the bushes, and hoping that nobody realises.”
Adding to pressure caravan park vacancy rates are at an all time low as grey nomads and families hit the road on winter bush getaways.
The owner of the Wild River Caravan Park said it was about walking the line between helping put a roof over heads of families in need and providing spots for more lucrative traditional tourists.
“It’s a balance between helping people out, we have had people in there for a month but it gets a bit expensive and we do give them a little bit of discount,” he said.
“We have lots of inquiries with single parents wanting somewhere, but most to them want a little cabin.
“We have had to turn that many people away. I don’t know what’s going to turn it around.”
St Vinnies volunteer Ms Garland joined a recent push by Queensland Council of Social Service and Q Shelter for increased state government housing investment.
“Here’s mother or father with two or three kids, and the best I can do for them is a test site, it’s unbelievable,” she said.
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Originally published as Homeless families competing with travellers for Tablelands tent sites
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