Latest news with #Paniyiri
The Age
09-06-2025
- General
- The Age
Tents have disappeared, tunnels cleared. Where are homeless sleeping?
By day, the tunnel next to the Albert Street Cross River Rail construction site is a hive of pedestrian activity. Retail and office workers stride purposefully towards the CBD, as a slower tide of uni students and day trippers move towards the Botanic Gardens. By night, the tunnel becomes a place of shelter for rough sleepers. Sometimes they are still there, faces pressed into worn sleeping bags or turned against the concrete, when the morning rush descends. At least, that was until the signs went up, warning 'this area is to be kept clear at all times, any items found risk being removed'. There have been similar crackdowns on visible rough sleeping in other parts of the city. A month ago, police and council officers cleared one of the largest encampments from South Brisbane's Musgrave Park. Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner dismissed suggestions it was done for the upcoming Paniyiri Greek Festival, pointing instead to a directive issued in March. The festival packed down weeks ago, but Musgrave Park remains 'closed for maintenance', its perimeter surrounded by fencing. A council spokesperson said this will be the case until the grass has fully rehabilitated, which could take up to 12 weeks. Before Paniyiri, there were at least a dozen tents spread across the grounds. Sometimes this number reached closer to 40. Today, there are none. It's the same in other pockets – Kurilpa Point and Orleigh Park, rotundas along the Brisbane River – usually frequented by rough sleepers. But out of sight does not mean the city's homelessness crisis has been miraculously solved in the last few weeks. Signs in Albert Street list three contact numbers for those in need of housing: HART4000, a homelessness assessment and referral team; the Queensland government's homeless hotline; and not-for-profit support and advocacy organisation Micah Projects. Micah works feverishly to support the city's rough sleepers, but is caught in a failing system. There is no long-term affordable housing available. The best they can offer is crisis accommodation – if it's available. Micah Projects chief executive Karyn Walsh says recent months have been particularly difficult. Loading 'The crackdown just means people are less visible,' Walsh explains. 'We're getting a lot of calls from businesses about people sleeping under their [storefronts], in commercial car parks or at the back of businesses, all through West End and South Bank. 'That has become more apparent [since the tents] were cleared out of Musgrave Park.' Micah estimates its referrals from council have doubled since March, and say early figures from Brisbane Zero show a similar increase since April. Walsh adds that people are still sleeping in usual hotspots, but are being moved on quickly. Council maintain the city's rough sleepers have been offered temporary accommodation, and criticise those who they say have refused. Micah disputes this, saying not all have 'refused', and that some hotels won't accept people without identification. The not-for-profit says it is currently supporting 895 people in motels, including 467 children. Walsh says people in crisis accommodation often end up back on the streets during peak demand periods. 'When events are on, people have to move out and come back.' Inner-city hotel Turbot House, which has been providing crisis accommodation through Micah since April 2024, recently announced it would no longer accept bookings to allow for urgent repair works on the building. Micah said it was supporting 56 people at the property when news of the closure arrived on May 19. Relocating them was made more difficult as visitors filled Brisbane hotels before the first game of the State of Origin. Queensland's capital has been grappling with an escalating homelessness problem for years. Charities who provided tents never intended them as a long-term solution, just a stop-gap measure to provide some level of protection and dignity. Now, as winter settles in and rough sleepers return to park benches and alleyways, huddled under awnings and in abandoned buildings, advocates are again asking for all levels of government to step up. Loading The rhetoric hasn't changed: Brisbane needs more social and affordable housing, and quickly. But even if developments were to manifest, there are some rough sleepers who wouldn't manage in this type of housing. These are the chronically homeless who struggle with acute mental health disorders. Many are unemployed and battling addiction. Others are escaping abuse or years of violence. They are traumatised and have complex needs. Without support to secure and maintain a tenancy, they might never access housing. Walsh calls it a 'dual problem': a mental health system that is overstretched and a housing crisis. The number one solution put forward is supportive housing, developments that include on-site, wrap-around services like Common Ground in South Brisbane. Queensland's housing minister Sam O'Connor recently visited Common Ground and met with chief executive Sue Pope. In a Facebook post after the tour, O'Connor wrote that 'the only way we're going to fix the homelessness crisis is by delivering more supportive housing like this', pointing to a similar model under construction and due to open in 2027 on the Gold Coast. The Brisbane project is a unicorn. The 146-unit development was built in 2012, well before current housing and infrastructure demands, and was largely funded through philanthropy and a federal economic stimulus program introduced under Kevin Rudd's prime ministership. Pope recently returned from a tour of the United States, which saw her travel to New York and San Francisco to observe their housing solutions. She says Australia needs to think creatively about ways to unlock funding for more projects. Walsh says with the current time constraints on new builds, that would only be half the problem. 'We've got to plan for the future to have more new units, but in the meantime, we need [the government] to see if it's possible to buy and renovate hotels … so we're not moving people all the time.' The Department of Housing owns five properties in the Brisbane council area that were once hotels or aged care facilities, and now provide crisis accommodation or are being repurposed for long-term social housing. It is open to converting state-owned or leased crisis accommodation into supportive housing, if feasible, and O'Connor says his team has established a working group to provide advice on scaling works and making supportive housing a core part of the government's approach. Loading The government is on board, but the question is now meeting the urgency. 'We know the community wants homelessness to be solved, not just to be hidden,' Walsh says. 'The tents were making it visible, but it didn't solve the problem of homelessness taking them away.'
Sydney Morning Herald
09-06-2025
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
Tents have disappeared, tunnels cleared. Where are homeless sleeping?
By day, the tunnel next to the Albert Street Cross River Rail construction site is a hive of pedestrian activity. Retail and office workers stride purposefully towards the CBD, as a slower tide of uni students and day trippers move towards the Botanic Gardens. By night, the tunnel becomes a place of shelter for rough sleepers. Sometimes they are still there, faces pressed into worn sleeping bags or turned against the concrete, when the morning rush descends. At least, that was until the signs went up, warning 'this area is to be kept clear at all times, any items found risk being removed'. There have been similar crackdowns on visible rough sleeping in other parts of the city. A month ago, police and council officers cleared one of the largest encampments from South Brisbane's Musgrave Park. Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner dismissed suggestions it was done for the upcoming Paniyiri Greek Festival, pointing instead to a directive issued in March. The festival packed down weeks ago, but Musgrave Park remains 'closed for maintenance', its perimeter surrounded by fencing. A council spokesperson said this will be the case until the grass has fully rehabilitated, which could take up to 12 weeks. Before Paniyiri, there were at least a dozen tents spread across the grounds. Sometimes this number reached closer to 40. Today, there are none. It's the same in other pockets – Kurilpa Point and Orleigh Park, rotundas along the Brisbane River – usually frequented by rough sleepers. But out of sight does not mean the city's homelessness crisis has been miraculously solved in the last few weeks. Signs in Albert Street list three contact numbers for those in need of housing: HART4000, a homelessness assessment and referral team; the Queensland government's homeless hotline; and not-for-profit support and advocacy organisation Micah Projects. Micah works feverishly to support the city's rough sleepers, but is caught in a failing system. There is no long-term affordable housing available. The best they can offer is crisis accommodation – if it's available. Micah Projects chief executive Karyn Walsh says recent months have been particularly difficult. Loading 'The crackdown just means people are less visible,' Walsh explains. 'We're getting a lot of calls from businesses about people sleeping under their [storefronts], in commercial car parks or at the back of businesses, all through West End and South Bank. 'That has become more apparent [since the tents] were cleared out of Musgrave Park.' Micah estimates its referrals from council have doubled since March, and say early figures from Brisbane Zero show a similar increase since April. Walsh adds that people are still sleeping in usual hotspots, but are being moved on quickly. Council maintain the city's rough sleepers have been offered temporary accommodation, and criticise those who they say have refused. Micah disputes this, saying not all have 'refused', and that some hotels won't accept people without identification. The not-for-profit says it is currently supporting 895 people in motels, including 467 children. Walsh says people in crisis accommodation often end up back on the streets during peak demand periods. 'When events are on, people have to move out and come back.' Inner-city hotel Turbot House, which has been providing crisis accommodation through Micah since April 2024, recently announced it would no longer accept bookings to allow for urgent repair works on the building. Micah said it was supporting 56 people at the property when news of the closure arrived on May 19. Relocating them was made more difficult as visitors filled Brisbane hotels before the first game of the State of Origin. Queensland's capital has been grappling with an escalating homelessness problem for years. Charities who provided tents never intended them as a long-term solution, just a stop-gap measure to provide some level of protection and dignity. Now, as winter settles in and rough sleepers return to park benches and alleyways, huddled under awnings and in abandoned buildings, advocates are again asking for all levels of government to step up. Loading The rhetoric hasn't changed: Brisbane needs more social and affordable housing, and quickly. But even if developments were to manifest, there are some rough sleepers who wouldn't manage in this type of housing. These are the chronically homeless who struggle with acute mental health disorders. Many are unemployed and battling addiction. Others are escaping abuse or years of violence. They are traumatised and have complex needs. Without support to secure and maintain a tenancy, they might never access housing. Walsh calls it a 'dual problem': a mental health system that is overstretched and a housing crisis. The number one solution put forward is supportive housing, developments that include on-site, wrap-around services like Common Ground in South Brisbane. Queensland's housing minister Sam O'Connor recently visited Common Ground and met with chief executive Sue Pope. In a Facebook post after the tour, O'Connor wrote that 'the only way we're going to fix the homelessness crisis is by delivering more supportive housing like this', pointing to a similar model under construction and due to open in 2027 on the Gold Coast. The Brisbane project is a unicorn. The 146-unit development was built in 2012, well before current housing and infrastructure demands, and was largely funded through philanthropy and a federal economic stimulus program introduced under Kevin Rudd's prime ministership. Pope recently returned from a tour of the United States, which saw her travel to New York and San Francisco to observe their housing solutions. She says Australia needs to think creatively about ways to unlock funding for more projects. Walsh says with the current time constraints on new builds, that would only be half the problem. 'We've got to plan for the future to have more new units, but in the meantime, we need [the government] to see if it's possible to buy and renovate hotels … so we're not moving people all the time.' The Department of Housing owns five properties in the Brisbane council area that were once hotels or aged care facilities, and now provide crisis accommodation or are being repurposed for long-term social housing. It is open to converting state-owned or leased crisis accommodation into supportive housing, if feasible, and O'Connor says his team has established a working group to provide advice on scaling works and making supportive housing a core part of the government's approach. Loading The government is on board, but the question is now meeting the urgency. 'We know the community wants homelessness to be solved, not just to be hidden,' Walsh says. 'The tents were making it visible, but it didn't solve the problem of homelessness taking them away.'
Perth Now
08-05-2025
- Perth Now
Nowhere to go for homeless evicted from city park
Rough sleepers have been given 30 minutes to vacate tents in a park as part of a "traumatic" crackdown by Australia's largest council. The Brisbane City Council has been accused of ordering homeless campers to move on and giving them no alternative housing option after working with police to clear Musgrave Park on Thursday. The council - Australia's biggest with about 1.2 million people - has enforced a ban on rough sleepers in the city's parks that was introduced two months ago in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Alfred to stop violent or anti-social behaviour. Ken Solberg Jr has been homeless for seven months after being unable to secure a permanent rental during the housing crisis. He was woken up in his small blue tent that sat alongside 10 others in the park on Thursday morning by police and council workers who told him he had half an hour to leave. "There was no plan, what do I do next?" he told AAP. Mr Solberg has been given temporary accommodation on several occasions since he came out of corrective services in October but found it scarier than living on the streets. "It was just soul crushing, it's a shoe box rife with crime and drugs," he said. "I'd rather be homeless than be preyed upon." Musgrave Park hasn't felt much safer for Mr Solberg, forced to stick to himself and keep few belongings to avoid becoming a robbery target. The rough sleeper has since been offered another temporary accommodation spot and he hopes it will be safer than the previous boarding houses. The council crackdown, which has been ongoing since March, was also in response to northern neighbours Moreton Bay criminalising homeless camping on public land with threats of fines up to $8000. Amid fears homelessness would trickle south due to the Moreton Bay ban, the Brisbane council gave rough sleepers 24 hours to vacate Musgrave Park in March. However, authorities did not enforce the action, which meant many kept sleeping on the park grounds. But on Thursday morning, council workers and police arrived to move along dozens of rough sleepers. Authorities were met with volunteers from poverty networks and dozens of members of the construction union CFMEU to protest the action at Musgrave Park. Bec Pring was helping people pack up their belongings when police arrived and witnessed the stress among those forced out of the park without an alternative. "This has been so traumatic for people, we had a lot of people who abandoned their tent and ran because they were scared to get arrested," the Community Union Defence League volunteer told AAP. She blamed the action on Musgrave Park hosting the annual Greek festival Paniyiri on May 17, saying people get displaced every year. The council has denied the claim, saying the "move on" order was unrelated. Greens councillor for the Gabba Trina Massey said, regardless of the motive, the decision lacked planning and support to ensure those sleeping rough had access to accommodation. "This is a cruel action," she told AAP. "There is nowhere for people to go ... there might be no tents but the issue of rough sleeping will still exist after today and the council's actions." Cr Massey said the council had previously allowed an exclusion zone for rough sleepers to remain during Paniyiri but this year there had been no such lenience. Brisbane City Council blamed the Greens for accepting rough sleepers in "dangerous" tent encampments where there is "anti-social behaviour, violence and drug use". "Parks should be safe for all Brisbane residents, not turned into no-go zones because of violence, drug use and anti-social behaviour," City Standards Chair Sarah Hutton said in a statement. Queensland Police said officers attended to keep the peace.
Perth Now
07-05-2025
- Perth Now
‘Heartless': Alarming note issued in city
Tents in a well established homeless encampment in inner city Brisbane have been slapped with eviction notices by the local council, while landscaping works occur around their dwellings. The Brisbane City Council have plastered stickers on tents in Musgrave Park, located in South Brisbane, warning owners that if they were not collected by May 7, they may be confiscated or disposed of. Tents in a well established homeless encampment in inner city Brisbane have been slapped with eviction notices by the local council, while landscaping works occur around their tents. NewsWire / Glenn Campbell Credit: News Corp Australia 'If you need help with housing options, please contact the Safe Communities Team on (07) 3403 8888,' the notice said. The park is currently undergoing works in preparation to host the Paniyiri Festival held from Saturday May 17 to Monday May 19. Throughout the festival, the park will be temporarily fenced off to the public, and only those who have purchased a ticket will be allowed access. Brisbane City Council have plastered stickers on tents in Musgrave Park, located in South Brisbane, warning owners that if they were not collected by May 7, they may be confiscated or disposed of. NewsWire / Glenn Campbell Credit: News Corp Australia A Brisbane City Council spokesperson said the move-on orders aligned with a new approach to homelessness in the city outlined in March, and were unrelated to the festival. 'Brisbane residents have grown increasingly concerned about the violence, drug use and anti-social behaviour occurring in tent encampments in parks,' they said. 'As a result, we're taking a calm, measured and considered approach with the Department of Housing, Police and Queensland Health to get people out of dangerous encampments and into safe accommodation.' The homeless encampment at Musgrave Park has received widespread attention after multiple attempts to remove the tent city by Brisbane City Council failed. In March this year, Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner outlined a new policy whereby in instances where people camping in parks refuse accommodation or assistance, they would be asked to move on within 24 hours. A Brisbane City Council spokesperson said the move-on orders aligned with a new approach to homelessness in the city outlined in March, and were unrelated to a festival taking place in the location. NewsWire / Glenn Campbell Credit: News Corp Australia At the time, Mr Schrinner said he believed most campers were 'homeless by choice'. He said that the people in the homeless encampments refused assistance from the Council and other organisations during ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, and that accommodation was available to them. Greens Councillor Tina Massey said the removal of vulnerable people from Musgrave Park ahead of this year's Paniyiri festival marked a 'harsh and regressive shift' from the inclusive planning of previous years. 'Dutton's vision for Australia continues right here in Brisbane under the cruel leadership of Lord Mayor Schrinner,' she said. 'I urge the Lord Mayor and Premier to stop criminalising homelessness and start investing in real solutions. We need more social and affordable housing, not more fines and forced relocations.' Greens Senator Larissa Waters urged the Lord Mayor to reconsider his approach to tackling homelessness in Brisbane. 'It is appalling The Lord Mayor of Brisbane is striking vulnerable people sleeping rough with this heartless policy. 'Criminalising poverty is never a solution to poverty. What people without homes need are homes. 'We have the tools to really fix the crisis in this country and the Greens urge all levels of government to use them.' Homeless tents in Musgrave park under a removal order as Brisbane City Council conducts works. NewsWire / Glenn Campbell Credit: News Corp Australia A spokesperson from local charity Northwest Community Group said Brisbane City Council and event organisers for the Greek Food Festival have not adequately provided support to those who are being relocated for the events. 'The festival is an annual event, usually they have a special area put aside for people experiencing homelessness but this year they are just kicking everyone out,' they said. The Northwest Community Group has organised a sit-in at the Park on Wednesday May 7, calling for event organisers to consider the needs of the homeless people who will be forced to relocate. 'People were left in the dark about what was going to happen and where they were meant to go,' a post to the group's social media said. 'The festival footprint maps were not finalised until the day the fences went up, and they were never shared.' Homeless encampments along the Brisbane River under the Riverside Expressway. NewsWire / Glenn Campbell Credit: News Corp Australia In October last year, Brisbane City Council cut the electricity to two homeless tent cities at Musgrave Park and Kurilpa Point Park, leaving them without access to power outlets or barbecues. At the time, Greens Councillor Trina Massey said: 'This callous act denied people sleeping rough the ability to cook food on BBQs or charge their phones – possibly leading to missed calls with offers of housing from the Department of Housing.' 'The removal of power has already made our parks less safe for all community members. Rough sleepers are now resorting to potentially much more dangerous gas based equipment to enable them to cook meals, the most basic of human rights,' she said. 'I've already been told that a gas canister has exploded.'
West Australian
07-05-2025
- West Australian
‘Concerned': Alarming note issued by Brisbane Council
Tents in a well established homeless encampment in inner city Brisbane have been slapped with eviction notices by the local council, while landscaping works occur around their dwellings. The Brisbane City Council have plastered stickers on tents in Musgrave Park, located in South Brisbane, warning owners that if they were not collected by May 7, they may be confiscated or disposed of. 'If you need help with housing options, please contact the Safe Communities Team on (07) 3403 8888,' the notice said. The park is currently undergoing works in preparation to host the Paniyiri Festival held from Saturday May 17 to Monday May 19. Throughout the festival, the park will be temporarily fenced off to the public, and only those who have purchased a ticket will be allowed access. A Brisbane City Council spokesperson said the move-on orders aligned with a new approach to homelessness in the city outlined in March, and were unrelated to the festival. 'Brisbane residents have grown increasingly concerned about the violence, drug use and anti-social behaviour occurring in tent encampments in parks,' they said. 'As a result, we're taking a calm, measured and considered approach with the Department of Housing, Police and Queensland Health to get people out of dangerous encampments and into safe accommodation.' The homeless encampment at Musgrave Park has received widespread attention after multiple attempts to remove the tent city by Brisbane City Council failed. In March this year, Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner outlined a new policy whereby in instances where people camping in parks refuse accommodation or assistance, they would be asked to move on within 24 hours. At the time, Mr Schrinner said he believed most campers were 'homeless by choice'. He said that the people in the homeless encampments refused assistance from the Council and other organisations during ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, and that accommodation was available to them. Greens Councillor Tina Massey said the removal of vulnerable people from Musgrave Park ahead of this year's Paniyiri festival marked a 'harsh and regressive shift' from the inclusive planning of previous years. 'Dutton's vision for Australia continues right here in Brisbane under the cruel leadership of Lord Mayor Schrinner,' she said. 'I urge the Lord Mayor and Premier to stop criminalising homelessness and start investing in real solutions. We need more social and affordable housing, not more fines and forced relocations.' Greens Senator Larissa Waters urged the Lord Mayor to reconsider his approach to tackling homelessness in Brisbane. 'It is appalling The Lord Mayor of Brisbane is striking vulnerable people sleeping rough with this heartless policy. 'Criminalising poverty is never a solution to poverty. What people without homes need are homes. 'We have the tools to really fix the crisis in this country and the Greens urge all levels of government to use them.' A spokesperson from local charity Northwest Community Group said Brisbane City Council and event organisers for the Greek Food Festival have not adequately provided support to those who are being relocated for the events. 'The festival is an annual event, usually they have a special area put aside for people experiencing homelessness but this year they are just kicking everyone out,' they said. The Northwest Community Group has organised a sit-in at the Park on Wednesday May 7, calling for event organisers to consider the needs of the homeless people who will be forced to relocate. 'People were left in the dark about what was going to happen and where they were meant to go,' a post to the group's social media said. 'The festival footprint maps were not finalised until the day the fences went up, and they were never shared.' In October last year, Brisbane City Council cut the electricity to two homeless tent cities at Musgrave Park and Kurilpa Point Park, leaving them without access to power outlets or barbecues. At the time, Greens Councillor Trina Massey said: 'This callous act denied people sleeping rough the ability to cook food on BBQs or charge their phones – possibly leading to missed calls with offers of housing from the Department of Housing.' 'The removal of power has already made our parks less safe for all community members. Rough sleepers are now resorting to potentially much more dangerous gas based equipment to enable them to cook meals, the most basic of human rights,' she said. 'I've already been told that a gas canister has exploded.'
