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ABC News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Human rights lawyers challenge City of Moreton Bay homeless evictions
Human rights lawyers are taking the City of Moreton Bay to court over its destruction of homeless camps on public land. On Thursday, lawyers representing Basic Rights Queensland and the Northwest Community Group applied for a Supreme Court judicial review on behalf of homeless people evicted from Eddie Hyland Park. The judicial review would determine whether the council's actions were lawful. In April the council bulldozed the homeless encampment with an excavator and garbage truck, as well as threatening fines of up to $8,065 if people stayed. Basic Rights Queensland legal practice director Sam Tracy said they would argue that the City of Moreton Bay had violated their clients' human rights. "We believe the obligations in regards to people's human rights have not been sufficiently taken into account," Mr Tracy said. Mr Tracy said they were applying for a judicial review to test in court whether the seizures were legal. The human rights lawyer said they would argue that the seizures were a breach of property rights and the prohibition against "cruel, inhuman, or degrading" treatment. A council spokesperson said it had not violated human rights laws. "Council has received appeals from individuals who were removed from Eddie Hyland Park," the spokesperson said. "We respond to appeals in accordance with any requirements of the law. "There is no breach of anyone's human rights in relation to this matter." Homeless couple Debbie and John Bobeldyk have both lodged appeals with the City of Moreton Bay after being evicted from Eddie Hyland Park. The couple said they were given one hour to collect some of their belongings before council officers loaded the rest into a garbage truck. Mrs Bobeldyk said they had lost several tents, a fridge, a portable air conditioner, and their daughter's ashes in the process. The 56-year-old said she felt as though she had also been stripped of her human dignity. "They make you feel as though you're not worth the land you're standing on," Mrs Bobeldyk said. "We're not homeless because we want to be." Mrs Bobeldyk said the Department of Housing did not offer them accommodation because they were unable to find their ID documents after their camp was destroyed. She said they had since applied for the documents but were yet to hear back from the department. A housing department spokesperson said they were unable to comment on the Bobeldyks's case due to privacy reasons. "The department and our specialist homelessness services work with individuals to establish their identity and obtain ID documents," the spokesperson said. "Our Critical Response Team is working on the ground across the Moreton Bay region offering housing support to every person willing to engage." Northwest Community Group president Paul Slater said he hoped that taking City of Moreton Bay to court would set a precedent for other councils. "From the start we've said this is a violation of people's human rights," Mr Slater said. "If it is found to be illegal we're hoping this will stop not just Moreton Bay but any other council, including Brisbane City Council and the Gold Coast council." Mr Bobeldyk said they spent Anzac Day sheltering under a tarp because they did not have a tent to keep out of the rain. The disability pensioner said they had since set up camp in a secluded plot of land and were lying low in the hopes of not being reported. But he said their remote location meant less access to charity and support services. "The rangers told us to stay sight unseen," Mr Bobeldyk said. "If nobody complains they'll leave us alone. That's what it's come to." The City of Moreton Bay said it would follow a complaints-based system, responding to resident reports of illegal homelessness.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Waterfront photo highlights sad reality for Aussies: 'People will do anything'
As the federal election looms, Australia's housing crisis is at the forefront of voters' minds, with many calling for urgent action on the rising price of homes and the shortage of available properties. In 2025, rental prices remain dizzyingly high. And although in February the national vacancy rate rose to 1.3 per cent, up from 1.0 per cent in January, they're still well below the three per cent threshold typically indicative of a balanced market. This week in Queensland, a shocking video surfaced online, capturing an individual's camp in quite an unexpected location — on a body of water at the Gold Coast. The footage, filmed in Surfers Paradise, shows a tent suspended by rope and supported by two paddleboards, floating on the Nerang River. It sparked widespread concern among responders, with some saying they were "struggling to process" the sad scene. "This is what the housing crisis has come to," one person replied. "People will do anything when there is a lack of funds and care," another said. "There is no affordable housing available in this country," a third wrote. Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, a spokesperson for the City of Gold Coast council said its officers had referred the matter to the Department of Housing and local welfare services, which are equipped to provide proper support. "The City does not provide any direct housing or welfare services," they said. Across the country, it's far from uncommon for Australians to resort to sleeping in tents — though more so on a body of water — with a lack of available resources forcing people to take drastic action. Paul Slater, who runs the Northwest Community Group and manages a makeshift "tent city" in Musgrave Park, in Brisbane's south, said he's struggling to keep up with the enormous demand for his services. Paul gets dozens of messages every week from those seeking help and has supplied over 500 tents to battling Australians last year alone. He said within the last couple of decades, there's been an "absolute failure on all levels of government" when it comes to social housing. "It's clear we're in an emergency," he earlier told Yahoo. "I've got people calling me multiple times per day, sleeping on concrete with nowhere to go. "I've got one lady... she's been searching every day for rentals. She's been to 100 inspections and can't get anywhere within her budget for her and her two children. She's not getting any support, and she has two weeks until she's homeless. "I got a call last night from another woman out at Redcliffe who's sleeping in her car with three children, 8, 10, and 14 — three girls. She's been sleeping in her CAR." Despite this, homeless people in Brisbane's tent cities were earlier this year given 24 hours to pack up their things and leave, amid a crackdown on temporary housing on public land. The move was announced by Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner in mid-March, stating the public had raised concerns about the safety of people sleeping on public land, particularly at Musgrave Park. Real estate agent's 'disgusting' post highlights dark problem in Australia Rough sleepers in tent city face uncertainty as upcoming festival threatens community Wild weather exposes 'real problem' struggling Aussies living in tents face The idea sparked widespread condemnation, with Gabba Ward councillor Trina Massey branding the decision "cruel and hypocritical". "The Lord Mayor's cruel and opportunistic stance, criminalising homelessness just days after vulnerable communities were exposed to severe weather, does nothing to support those facing domestic violence, substance abuse or others falling through the cracks," she said. And tent living is not just a Queensland issue, with similar "cities" popping up right across Australia due to a shortage of adequate accommodation. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
