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

Brisbane’s Lord Mayor will shut down homeless camps across the city, including at Musgrave Park and Kurilpa Point, in a bid to restore safety. Right move? VOTE NOW

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

• Editor’s view: Parks are for all
• ‘Get off your butts’: Debate erupts

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

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner will declare on Thursday that it is time to make the city’s public parks safe again.

Mr 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.

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Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner. Picture: John Gass

“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.”

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.

Mr 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.”

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.”

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.

Mr 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