News
4 March, 2025
Hardline rules ‘aren’t helping’
SOCIAL welfare groups are calling for more clarity about interim housing options for homeless following Moreton Bay Council’s announcement last week, which has made it illegal for all people to camp on public land as of March 12.
Micah Projects CEO, Karyn Walsh, told The Sentinel, there needs to be more specialised support around getting housing for PEH, as many decline government support for a number of reasons.
“Not everybody can just go into a house on their own,” she said. “There are significant numbers of people who actually need support to make it work for them and security.
“Sometimes people may have had a bad experience with public housing and services, sometimes they are very traumatised because of other things that have happened to them, and they don’t often make decisions on the spot about moving.
“Other people have significant mental illness, who are not accessing appropriate mental health and clinical care, others have disabilities or addictions and they need support to work through it.”
Ms Walsh emphasised the need for more interim housing options, where people can stay while more permanent housing is being developed or built, which also provide the specialised support for PEH to work through some of their traumas and barriers.
She believes Moreton Bay Council’s approach needs to be more solution-driven, rather than punitive, adding it is likely this change will push PEH into neighbouring areas.
“I don’t think there is a community where people aren’t struggling,” she said. “People do move, especially if they fear they are going to be fined or in trouble. It’s a very transient lifestyle for some people, while some are just waiting.
“We need bi-partisan support, without chopping and changing programs that have started, because every time that happens, it causes further delays.”
Council solutions
Somerset and Sunshine Coast councils have shared how they manage people experiencing homelessness (PEH). While camping on public land has been made illegal, Moreton Bay Council has assured this does not “criminalise” homeless, with Council not issuing infringements for homelessness.
According to Moreton Bay Council CEO, Scott Waters, this will make Moreton Bay’s Camping on Public Land regulations align with neighbouring South East Queensland councils.
A spokesperson for Sunshine Coast Council, however, said “enforcement action is always a last resort” for them, with Sunshine Coast Council’s process for managing persons experiencing homelessness in public spaces focusing on engagement and connection.
“We have held numerous meetings with those living with homelessness to understand how we can work together in responding to this issue,” the spokesperson said. “Officers take the following approach across our region: Work closely with State government services to link people with options for housing and support, and assist to escalate support for people at high risk (such as children and people leaving domestic violence situations); Provide information and directions to persons who are camping illegally.”
Where the issue relates to anti-social or unlawful behaviour, such as drug use or theft, Sunshine Coast residents contact the Queensland Police Service (QPS) “as these matters fall under their jurisdiction”.
Sunshine Coast Council has funded a Public Space Liaison Officer position to support PEH in public spaces, and are providing identified community organisations, which deliver affordable housing on the Sunshine Coast, with a 100 per cent rebate on standard Council infrastructure charges, until 2028.
This rebate supports Council’s Housing and Homelessness Action Plan 2023 and will support more housing, including separate housing, boarding and emergency facilities, to be delivered for those who needed it most.
“Homelessness is a situation that is difficult to quickly rectify and all tiers of government (local, state and federal), as well as the private sector (including relevant industry associations and peak bodies) and the community housing sector need to work together to effectively address the current situation,” the spokesperson said.
Somerset Mayor, Jason Wendt, said Somerset Council has issued and will continue issuing fines for individuals camping on public land who refuse assistance and continue to camp illegally, as “there are better alternatives available for PEH than camping on council land”.
“Council is actively collaborating with the QPS and the Department of Housing’s Critical Response Team to assist people who are illegally camping on public land with finding accommodation,” Cr Wendt said. “People who have engaged positively with council and the departments have been successful in finding more appropriate accommodation.
“Flooding and natural disasters are not uncommon for Somerset, and when Twin Bridges flooded in December 2024 we saw how unsafe the reserve could be for people sleeping in tents and out of their cars.
“Our parks and reserves are not designed to accommodate people sleeping rough, and when disaster strikes the last thing we want is people getting hurt when it could have been easily avoided.”
Cr Wendt added they are monitoring City of Moreton Bay’s regulations and responses to illegal camping, but cannot predict how a neighbouring council’s actions will affect their community.
Reason behind Moreton’s decision
Moreton Bay Council took the step of making it illegal for all people to camp on public land by repealing its Persons Experiencing Homelessness Camping Framework (PEHCF), a discretionary document intended to guide the management of camping on public land by people experiencing homelessness (PEH).
Since February 27, Council Officers have been engaging, in person, with PEH currently staying on public land about the changes. People will continue to be connected with the Department of Housing and support services during this period and after 12 March.
After March 12, Council’s local law will regulate all forms of camping on public land. Indefinite camping will not be permitted, and illegal campers will receive a compliance notice to move.
“City of Moreton Bay is aware of how complex an issue homelessness is, and we acknowledge that this change will not be welcomed by everyone,” Mr Waters said.
The PEHCF allowed for people experiencing homelessness to camp on public land for indefinite periods if they complied with various responsibilities. These responsibilities included not impeding reasonable access by other community members and Council officers undertaking their duties, maintaining engagement with Department of Housing and be working towards a housing outcome, not conducting illegal behaviour, and keeping the area clean, safe and tidy.
Council estimates at least 130 PEH will be affected by this, with the actual number likely being much higher, as 137 are registered with the State’s Department of Housing with a known location, while others are not registered.
According to Council CEO, Scott Waters, this decision was due to concerns about the decline of public space access, amenity and safety, claiming the PEHCF was inhibiting Council’s ability to regulate local laws.
“Some PEH are reported to be choosing to camp in public spaces over the acceptance of crisis accommodation and other reasonable offers of assistance. This was never the intent of the Framework,” he said.
“Council’s policies and practices regularly evolve, and this update will support Council in striking a reasonable balance between providing support to vulnerable members of our community and achieving the objectives of our local law.”
“The health and safety of PEH is core to this change, and repealing the Framework will enable these individuals to get the critical support they need.”
Some initiatives Moreton Bay Council has taken to tackle the issue of homelessness includes waiving development fees and infrastructure charges in fifteen suburbs for affordable and social housing, offering Council land to community housing providers, committing $3.7 million to the new Peninsula Support Hub and supporting the Redcliffe Sleepbus.
Enough social housing?
According to a spokesperson for the Department of Housing and Public Works, since July 1, 2023, as at January 31, 2025, 176 social and affordable homes have been delivered in the Moreton Bay area, with an additional 643 social and affordable homes in construction and 47 affordable homes under contract to be delivered.
“This financial year, the department has provided $11.9 million for seven organisations delivering specialist homelessness services (SHS) in the Moreton Bay region, supporting the complex needs of people in housing crisis,” the spokesperson said.
Anyone in the Moreton Bay Region who requires housing assistance can contact the state-funded Specialist Homelessness Services, including Encircle 24/7 on (07) 3465 3276 or The Salvation Army on (07) 3832 1491. Or contact your local Housing Service Centre by calling 13 QGOV.
