Gold Coast councillors face protest with council accused of being ‘inhumane’ with homeless

Council’s threats have succeeded in getting some residents of Southport’s tent city to move on – but they have not gone far. It comes as advocates protest at council chambers. READ THE LATEST

Homeless people evicted by council from the Southport tent city have moved – but only a few hundred metres.

Residents told the Bulletin several rough sleepers had moved to a smaller park opposite the Queens Street light rail station after facing a deadline to leave Carey Park by 5pm on Monday.

Advocates for the homeless including Tamika Hicks and Jenna Schroeder held a protest about the evictions outside council chambers in Evandale on Tuesday.

Ms Schroeder was invited inside where she met with Southport-based councillor Brooke Patterson, who said council support staff remained employed as part of a new policy which stresses enforcement over offering support.

A majority of councillors — only Glenn Tozer and Joe Wilkinson were opposed — later at a full council meeting supported the compliance model which included partnering with the City’s homeless network and giving officers more training.

Mayor Tom Tate agreed with it was frustrating and complex process, as the City sought more housing support from the State Government as lead agency.

“It would be heartless to not have any empathy, I know that for some people it’s only an inch away from being homeless,” Mr Tate said.

“I’ve spoken to some who are homeless, living in cars and still marking student papers. They are a teacher, they don’t have a home. It’s the housing part, we have go get them off the street.”

Supporters of the homeless in Carey Park stage a protest outside the Gold Coast City Council chambers on council's tough compliance policy.

Ms Schroeder said it was critical that campers were not “hidden” so they could access support.

“They have a meeting in the calendar with (Housing Minister) Sam O’Connor but I wonder why that has happened already when this is a crisis,” Ms Schroeder said.

Ms Hicks said the Council’s Homelessness Action Plan failed to outline any meaningful commitments for emergency shelters or long-term housing solutions.

“We are here to say loud and clear public parks are not housing – but until there are safe places for people to go, we cannot support policies that displace people and worsen their trauma,” Ms Hicks said.

Supporters of the homeless at Carey Park stage a protest outside the Gold Coast City Council chambers about the City's tough compliance policy.

The City’s updated report on housing supply and affordability reveals:

* The Coast has 50 per cent fewer social housing dwellings per capita compared to Brisbane, requiring at least 5000 additional social housing units to meet demand.

* The Gold Coast Housing Service Centre has more than 2000 households on its waitlist, the third highest in Queensland, with 40 per cent classified as very high need.

* Since 2020, rental costs have surged – two-bedroom flats increased 43 per cent, from $500 to $715 per week and three-bedroom houses increased 37 per cent, from $580 to $795 per week.

* Only 0.4 per cent of rentals are affordable for very low-income households.

Ms Hicks said the Action Plan had no published goals or timelines for reducing rough sleeping, expanding housing or improving outcomes.

“Without deadlines or measurable goals, the community sees no accountability or urgency in the council’s strategy,” she said.

COUNCIL BLASTED OVER ‘INHUMANE’ POLICY

Council has been accused of putting “beautification and public image” above supporting people and pursuing an “inhumane” policy for attempting to shift homeless from a Southport tent city.

A number of rough sleepers among more than 20 tents at the CBD site were last week handed “compliance notices” by council, threatening them their belongings would be seized by 5pm on Monday if they did not move on. The Bulletin understands the people given the compliance notices decided to leave.

Community advocate Jenna Schroeder described council’s new policy as short sighted, putting “beautification and public image” above giving support to vulnerable people.

Jenna Schroeder.

Tamika Hicks.

“The council has acknowledged in its own reports that the demand for crisis accommodation far exceeds supply, and that people are cycling in and out of homelessness due to complex needs,” Ms Schroeder said.

“Yet instead of coming up with solutions to help people, they’re expanding compliance patrols.”

Community volunteer Tamika Hicks, who has been a regular visitor to the tent city, said council appeared intent on moving people out of public view.

The homeless in the tent city at Southport’s Carey Park. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

“Carey Park has been a refuge for many, and displacing people without secure, supported housing options is both inhumane and ineffective. We’ve worked for years to build a compassionate, coordinated response. This shift threatens to undo that progress,” she said.

A protest will be held at council chambers from 9am on Tuesday by campaigners angered at council’s actions.

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Originally published as Gold Coast councillors face protest with council accused of being ‘inhumane’ with homeless