Australian tent cities become ‘violent’ and ‘restless’ after council intervention: ‘Serious escalation’

A local council has been forced to take action against “anti-social behavior” in two notorious and densely populated “tent cities” as the country continues to grapple with a devastating housing crisis and rising homelessness.

In recent months there have been reports of violence and disturbances at Musgrave Park and Kurilpa Point Park in Brisbane, where dozens of people are sleeping rough. Allegations of stabbings, fires and vandalism have prompted Brisbane City Council to intervene and reportedly cut power to parks to ensure safety.

Paul Slater, who heads the North West Community Group and the makeshift “tent city” at Musgrave Park in Brisbane’s south, said he had noticed a sharp rise in the number of people needing help and previously told Yahoo he was struggling to meet the huge demand for its services in the area.

“It is clear to me that we are in an emergency situation,” he told Yahoo. “People call me several times a day, they are sleeping on concrete, they have nowhere to go, there is no emergency housing.”

He said people living in tents were often the targets of attacks, and it was widely reported by residents of “tent cities.”

“These guys in the tents constantly have to deal with people who don’t even live nearby. They just come to their tent sites and cause problems,” he said.

Increase in fires and violence in tent cities

CEO of Micah Projects Caryn Walsh, a non-profit organization in Brisbane, agreed homeless encampments had been “unsettled” over the past month. “There’s definitely been an increase in fires and definitely more violence,” she said.

“It happens regularly when you’re under that kind of stress,” she told The Courier Mail.

“People are also very alert to the possibility of violence. I mean, it’s common for groups of people to live in tents in public places. I think the situation does seem a little unsettled at the moment.”

Councilwoman Sarah Hutton agreed, telling the publication that authorities have serious concerns about the reported incidents.

“We are genuinely concerned about the serious escalation of violence and anti-social behavior in these camps, including alleged stabbings, fires and vandalism of electric barbecues, and have cut off the power for safety reasons,” Ms Hutton said.

Earlier, Brisbane City Council was forced to deny claims it was fomenting an “anti-homelessness campaign” after a resident discovered a “speaker making obnoxious noises to keep people awake” on benches in the area.

The council was also accused of mistreating rough sleepers, claiming it regularly threw away their tents and belongings.

A desperate plea for help finding a solution to a growing problem.

A 2023 report from the Queensland Council of Social Services (QCOSS) and the City of Nowhere campaign found homelessness in Queensland had risen by 22 per cent over the previous five years – almost three times the national rate.

Speaking to Yahoo in December, Brisbane Central District councilor Vicki Howard said “heartbreaking people are being forced to sleep in tents, cars and insecure accommodation as a result of the housing crisis and the State Government’s chronic underinvestment in social services”. housing.”

“Tents are not the solution to the housing crisis,” she lamented.

In Queensland, there is a two-and-a-half year wait to register for social housing, with around 25,000 people on the waiting list, and the figure is even worse in other states. In New South Wales, for example, 60,000 people are waiting for government housing.

Walsh said a “coordinated response” from all stakeholders, including the council, is the only way to manage the camp and provide a safe place for those struggling to survive.

“BCC (Brisbane City Council) is part of the solution, as well as the state government and community organisations,” she said.

“We just need to work together to try to solve this problem so that there aren’t too many people sleeping there, if any at all. Living in a tent in a park is not the way to live for anyone.”

Yahoo News Australia has contacted Brisbane City Council for comment.

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