Call for action over “violent campers”

Above: Image courtesy Greg Flanagan

A public plea for “stronger measures” to tackle “violent campers” in Moreton Bay’s parks and beaches has been supported in the Council chamber.

Myles Collings, who has lived in Redcliffe and Burpengary for more than 50 years, this week gave councillors graphic accounts of safety issues facing residents.

“Residents are scared of these violent anti-social campers and we need you to take responsibility for this,” he told Moreton Bay City Council’s General Meeting.

Acting Council CEO Matthew Anderson agreed, saying the “anti-social and criminal behaviour you describe is occurring daily within the homeless encampments”.

But, after outlining Council’s on-going work, actions, plans and legal restrictions, reminded the meeting: “The matters you raised today are State Government matters.”

“To be clear, the housing of the community and safety of the community are State Government responsibilities.

“Local Government has local laws in place to manage a community’s interaction with each other and impacts of actions on each other. These are not police powers.

“A shelter network is what is missing to move our homeless and vulnerable out of parks and into care.”

Using the Community Comment platform, Mr Collings said he had been asked to address Council by hundreds of Moreton Bay residents via social media.

He said the areas of concern in Redcliffe were Pelican Park, Woody Point, Portwood St, Scotts Point, Suttons Beach and Grice Street … “to name a few”.

“I am not here to vilify community members suffering from homelessness,” Mr Collings stressed, “this is not the behaviour of the genuinely homeless.

“I’m here to ask for stronger measures by the City of Moreton Bay regarding the amount of drug and alcohol consumption by violent campers living in tents in public areas.

“Residents of all ages are unable to walk dogs, jog, picnic, use children’s playgrounds or spend time at the beach with family due to safety concerns. Business owners in these areas are dealing with this on a daily basis.”

He said residents have suffered verbal abuse, physical abuse, been chased with a smashed beer bottle, threatened with a machete and he was threatened with a hammer three weeks ago.

Mr Collings said there were acts of sex in public, stealing, defecation in parks, picnic areas, waterways, beaches, fights between drug-affected campers, environmental destruction and rubbish dumped.

He spoke of uncapped syringes in children’s playgrounds, beaches, sport club fields and public toilets, open drug dealing at Suttons Beach and Grice St businesses being “continually broken into and damaged”.

“We, the community, feel powerless and continue to pay our rates and taxes while the campers seem to remain untouched and allowed to do whatever they want with no repercussions,” Mr Collings said.

“This is far beyond a not-in-my-backyard issue. It is a public safety issue. It is a matter of time before something serious happens. I represent residents who want this fixed using the right channels.”

Mr Collings said a public meeting is being held at 10am tomorrow (Saturday) at Woody Point Memorial Hall to “hopefully fix this before it becomes something Redcliffe and Moreton Bay becomes ashamed of”.

Acting CEO Matthew Anderson said Council officers and rangers are also being “routinely impacted on their day-to-day duties in the same manner the community is being affected”.

He said Council has explored “every possible avenue to enforce its Local Laws” but these have significant human rights assessments and are routinely unable to be enacted due to the person experiencing homelessness “simply having nowhere to go.”

“The current public and affordable housing work undertaken by the State Government and referred to by the State Minister and State Member is welcomed,” Mr Anderson said.

“But without a shelter network, designated campground or place of refuge, Council will continue to see people experiencing homelessness dispersed through the City’s parks and public spaces network.

“Our council has worked to deliver as many options as possible and has faced significant criticism for compliance activity and implementing solutions such as the Wyllie Park campground providing a space for people experiencing homelessness to go.

“What is missing from the State Government approach is a plan whereby the homeless and vulnerable in our community can receive mental and physical health services, are able to sleep safely and live with dignity.”

“Until this is delivered, local government parks and open spaces will continue to be utilised by the homeless community and the concerns you raised will continue.”