Rough campers in Coast CBD near death experiences before return to streets

What happened to the homeless who left the Gold Coast tent city at Carey Park? Some went to hospital and almost died. READ THEIR STORIES

Two men in the Carey Park tent city had life-threatening conditions. They went separately to Gold Coast University Hospital, and were later given just two nights in a government-funded motel.

They wanted “housing”, knew their health was fragile. So why were they not given a bed?

One of them, a New Zealander, on return to the Park told your columnist: “I’m just lost. They put one bandage on it. My leg is leaking puss.”

Labor is asking Housing Minister Sam O’Connor about these services. Here is the response:

* The Government says it has engaged with 30 homeless in the park, all referred to support.

* Seven received temporary accommodation, one declined – the property was too far away.

* Nine were engaging with “pathways” – six were not working with emergency teams.

* Non-for-profits groups like Set Free Care in Southport, which housed the Park homeless with 100 others during Cyclone Alfred, have received no extra funding.

Mr O’Connor says the housing crisis is “heartbreaking” and blames the former Government.

But several homeless in Carey Park say they are not getting any help from “Housing”.

The New Zealander was helped by a local church. Others fed by high rise residents.

The Carey Park tent city. On the left is Lane, who has left after an eviction notice. On the right, is camp leader Matangirau (Uncz) Hira who has returned.

A Labrador volunteer says: “I’ve been on the phone to mental health support lines to try and help people. They’re connected in with Housing and told me there’s nowhere for people to go other than a few days, and then what.

“People who are suicidal, whose hospital records they were looking at as I was on the phone to them. The only advice they gave me was to call an ambulance.”

Do all residents want to help, or is there strong opposition to use of public parks for camping?

At the Park, support has arrived like the recent rain. But the verbal arguments have littered the footpath – some residents abusing volunteers on arrival about rubbish around the camp.

Analysis of hundreds of comments to Bulletin reports shows majority support for homeless.

At least 54 per cent of our readers in their comments posted on stories and our Facebook page support the campers, 15 per cent were sympathetic and 31 per cent opposed.

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

The other man who needed hospital treatment was the camp leader, Matangirau “Uncz” Hira.

Lane, one of the campers since evicted, said: “Well, mate, I tell you he got pneumonia. They gave him fentanyl (for pain management) and he went into a coma.”

Uncz in a text on May 7 wrote: “I am currently in hospital and I have died here and recently returned – they plan to do a spinal tap operation in order to eliminate factors.”

Matangirau 'Uncz' Hira in front of the camp before becoming ill. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

Last Saturday, he wrote: “My awesome friends I was not graced by the department of Housing to have a few more days extension due to the lack of funding so I may have to head back to the camp.”

He slept there on Tuesday night. By Wednesday morning, his tent was abandoned.

“We all eventually end where we started – unless something changes drastically the cycle will repeat itself over and over ’till change happens,” he wrote.

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Originally published as Rough campers in Coast CBD near death experiences before return to streets