<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/27/moreton-bay-council-camping-ban-homeless-evictions>
"Dozens of homeless residents of Moreton Bay in south-east Queensland will soon
be liable for fines for sleeping in parks, after the local council changed its
local law to effectively ban homelessness.
The council on Wednesday voted to repeal its persons experiencing homelessness
camping framework. This will make it “illegal for all people to camp on public
land”, according to the council’s CEO, Scott Waters.
The change will come into force on 12 March and will see homeless people issued
a compliance notice requiring them to move on, threatening fines.
“The health and safety of people experiencing homelessness is core to this
change and repealing the framework will enable these individuals to get the
critical support they need,” Waters said.
Councillor Jodie Shipway, who recently served as acting mayor, said she had
visited homeless encampments like Gayundah Park, describing them as a public
health risk.
“I guess it’s sad and shocking that these people feel compelled that they need
to live like this,” Shipway said. “Their health and safety is as much at play
here as is the health and safety of our community.”"
Those people are not there because they want to be. They are there because they
literally have nowhere else to go. If the council does not provide any
alternative accommodation, they are simply trying to make it someone else’s
problem. A particularly stupid quote:
“We just became the soft touch. I mean, a lot of these people have got
smartphones,” councillor Adam Hain said.
Of course they have smartphones! Almost everyone has a smartphone! Without one,
how are they supposed to interact with the government and the rest of society?
But the councillor doesn't want them to, does he.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
