Showgrounds tent city ‘not a safe place to be’ with calls for on-site security and social workers

THERE are calls for the Government to provide security guards and social workers to the Hobart Showgrounds amid warnings the area will soon become unsafe for camping as the weather worsens.

THERE are calls for the State Government to provide after hours security guards and social workers for the Hobart Showgrounds, as the Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania warns the area will soon become unsafe for camping as the weather worsens.

Police at the Royal Hobart Showgrounds after arresting a man. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

The calls come after a man, who had allegedly been stealing from caravans, was arrested at the Showgrounds.

The man, who is not believed to be living at the showgrounds site, was arrested for allegedly stealing from caravans.

Police said the 42-year-old man from Goodwood was in custody “assisting police with their inquiries”.

RAST chief executive Scott Gadd said the tent city, which has grown as the state’s housing crisis deepens, may need to close to new residents.

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Mr Gadd said the area could be a dangerous place in bad weather, after a number of tents collapsed during high winds on Sunday night.

Tent at the Showgrounds collapsed in last night’s wind #politas pic.twitter.com/xyFe6R4xeB

— Alexandra Humphries (@alliehumphries) March 19, 2018

“The fact is it’s not a safe place to be. The winds can be quite dangerous,” Mr Gadd said.

“I’d like to see a solution soon because winter is not the place to be at the Showgrounds.

“It can’t go on forever, the safety factor means that as the weather turns I’ll probably have to close the site.”

MORE: TENT CITY MAY BE FORCED TO SHUT

Mr Gadd said some social workers attended the site yesterday morning, but more were needed, particularly after hours.

“We really need somewhere else that’s secure, safe, warm and is connected to services that we can refer people on to,” he said.

Rowena Worbey and her partner outside their tent at the Royal Hobart Showgrounds. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

Rowena Worbey and her dog Jagger have been living at the Showgrounds for a month.

Ms Worbey is on a disability support pension and said she felt like she had run out of options.

“The reason we’re here is because we’re sick of couchsurfing, being in people’s homes all the time – you feel like a burden,” she said.

Labor housing spokesman Josh Willie, left, and Royal Agricultural Society chief executive Scott Gadd at the Showgrounds. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

Labor housing spokesman Josh Willie said the Showgrounds tent city was a visible example of public policy failure.

He said the Government needed to provide assistance in the form of an after-hours security presence and social workers to help transition people into more suitable housing.

“People here are not having their basic needs being met. They don’t feel safe, and they don’t have shelter,” Mr Willie said.

“The Government has been warned and this crisis has happened on their watch, now they are missing in action.”

A government spokeswoman said it was “working hard with housing groups to address housing needs for Tasmanians” and a range of supported accommodation was coming online “in coming months”.