Community given three weeks to respond to music bowl homeless plan

Turning a rundown music venue into a $500,000 homeless shelter split the Rockhampton Regional Council and now it may divide the community.

Councillor Grant Mathers' passion project for homeless people, Rockhaven, is proposed for the old Rockhampton Music Bowl site.

A proposal to turn the Rockhampton Music Bowl site into a homeless shelter for up to 50 people split the regional council and now it may divide the community.

The Rockhampton Regional Council began seeking public feedback from October 23 to November 17 for a “proposed temporary camping site”, named Rockhaven, at the former music bowl site on the Bruce Highway at Parkhurst, to support people experiencing homelessness.

The sensitive issue triggered extensive debate at a September 2 special RRC meeting as councillors argued about the positives and risks involved with using the music bowl site before council voted 5-3 to support the initiative with a $500,000 budget.

Councillors Grant Mathers, Cherie Rutherford, Marika Taylor, Edward Oram and Elliot Hilse voted in the affirmative, while Mayor Tony Williams and councillors Drew Wickerson and Shane Latcham voted in the negative.

The amenities block at the Rockhampton Music Bowl site.

Planning and regulation councillor Grant Mathers this week said he was looking forward to hearing the community’s thoughts on Rockhaven.

“We considered many sites (15) but landed on the music bowl due to its existing infrastructure, flood-free location, size and accessibility to services,” he said.

“The music bowl has been inactive since it was deemed no longer viable for entertainment use, but it still offers basic amenities.”

He said community feedback would help shape council’s decision on the suitability of the site for up to 50 people, guide how Rockhaven could operate effectively and clarify the role the community believes council should play in supporting people experiencing homelessness in the future.

The Rockhampton Music Bowl stage, which was demolished in 2019.

He said input would be gathered from people with lived experience of homelessness, service providers, outreach organisations, neighbours and the wider community.

“We’ll be speaking directly with service providers, but the broader community can have their say through our online survey,” Cr Mathers said.

“Once all feedback is compiled, a report will be prepared for council to consider as part of future planning.”

A poll on The Morning Bulletin website in September asked if ratepayers should bear the costs of housing the homeless, resulting in participants voting 86 per cent against and 14 per cent for.

However, a poll in March asking if council should relocate homeless people to a designated area and provide them with amenities, attracted support from 76 per cent of participants while 24 per cent said no.

Google map showing the music bowl site in North Rockhampton and its proximity to surrounding properties.

Council has been asked on Friday, October 24, to explain how it determined three weeks as sufficient for community consultation and how it would be consulting with neighbouring properties as was listed in the Rockhaven Project Plan submitted at the September 2 meeting.

The site is 1.1km from a large school, adjacent to CQUniversity and 600m from the nearest homes.

The music bowl was considered to be the most suitable of the 15 considered sites due to access to amenities such as running water, toilets, waste collection and power, the large size of the site, a flood-free area and relatively close access to public transport and services.

A portion of the large Rockhampton Music Bowl site at Parkhurst.

People can share their views on the proposed Rockhaven concept for the music bowl site on council’s website or by hard copy survey at City Hall on Bolsover St.

The project plan also listed the following issues covering legal and liability risk and reputational risk:

• Public liability exposure: Incidents such as injuries or unsafe conditions can lead to costly claims.
• Legal challenges to establishment: The creation of a place of last resort may be contested legally, especially if planning, zoning, or community consultation processes are not robust.
• Compliance monitoring: Once conditions of entry/rules are established, council must actively monitor and enforce them. Failure to do so may increase liability if incidents occur.
• Human rights risks: Evicting campers or issuing compliance notices may breach human rights, particularly if no alternative accommodation is available.
• Occupier’s liability: Council may be liable for injuries or harm occurring on land it administers, especially if risks are foreseeable and not mitigated.
• Public health obligations: The site must be maintained to avoid sanitation issues, disease transmission, and other health hazards. Poor conditions could lead to legal and reputational consequences.
• Health and safety: Staff working at or visiting the site may be exposed to challenging situations.
  

Originally published as Community given three weeks to respond to music bowl homeless plan