Queensland council denies ‘trying to make homelessness illegal’ as residents threatened with $8,000 fines | Homelessness

A Brisbane council has issued compliance notices threatening fines of more than $8,000 while implementing its second homeless clearance in a day.

On Friday, four of the approximately eight homeless residents at Suttons Beach park in Redcliffe were given just two days to vacate the area.

City of Moreton Bay officers issued the compliance notices on Friday evening, alleging they had violated a council ordinance by “storing goods on public land”.

They must be out by midnight on Sunday or face large fines, according to the notices.

Beau Haywood, the founder of local food charity Nourish Street, said the goods people were storing were all the possessions they owned and they didn’t own any private land to store it on because they were homeless.

“I think they’re trying to make homelessness illegal in Moreton Bay,” he said.

A spokesperson for the City of Moreton Bay said they were not attempting to make homelessness illegal.

The notice warns failure to comply can attract a penalty between 5 and 50 penalty units, worth between $806 and $8,065. Only a court can impose fines greater than the lowest amount.

Residents of a second tent city in the municipality, at Woody Point, were issued a move on directive by police earlier this week. They were given seven days to leave, with that deadline also set at midnight Sunday.

In December, councillors amended local laws to ban people keeping pets in public spaces or living in vehicles. The council has not issued any fines for the new laws, but has handed out warning notices which have forced some people into tents.

Many of the residents said they had not been offered temporary emergency accommodation by state government staff, which is standard practice for homeless clearances.

A spokesperson for the housing minister said the department’s critical response team attended the site on Friday and “offered temporary emergency accommodation to every person they interacted with”.

The team will visit the area for a second time on Monday to “continue to offer temporary emergency accommodation to those sleeping rough and connect people with [social housing services] in the Moreton Bay region”.

Trent Heselden has lived in the park with his partner for nine months, but has been waiting on the social housing waiting list for six years. He isn’t sure where he’ll stay tonight, but it is likely to be another park in Redcliffe.

“Are we just moving from park to park and hope that they don’t kick us out of this one today? Just living like that, like on a string, it’s cruel,” he said.

Alan, who didn’t want to give his last name, was packing up his tent and possessions on Sunday.

He said he is worried that, wherever he goes, he’ll be moved on from there as well, saying that there weren’t any obvious options for a place to go.

“There’s always worser options, but no one wants to think about that stuff, you know?”

Both Alan and Trent said they had not spoken to state government housing staff since being given the notice on Friday.

In a statement, the council said it had engaged with eight people and issued four warnings for camping “within bookable events spaces utilised by local groups and businesses”.

“These persons were requested to relocate to an alternate location not utilised by the community for this purpose. Other compliance notices related to camping with animals, which is prohibited under council’s local laws.”

On Sunday, hundreds of people could be seen at Suttons Beach park, some having barbecues and others swimming at the beach.

The council spokesperson said the local government has had a 90% increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness in the last decade, according to 2021 Census data.

The premier, David Crisafulli, said it was important to ensure individuals had the right to enjoy public spaces, but it was equally important to “do all we can put a roof over the head of people who are vulnerable”.

“I’ve seen the images, and I’ve seen the frustration from not only the community, but also our MPs in the local area,” Crisafulli said on Sunday.