‘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.'
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