Moreton Bay Today - City of Moreton Bay Mayor Peter Flannery discusses Council's challenges with the Homelessness Crisis

Homelessness is a tough issue, and we’re seeing more and more of it across the City of Moreton Bay. Recent incidents at Pelican Park and Wyllie Park have also left plenty of locals frustrated and asking what can actually be done.

Mayor Peter Flannery joins Travis Groves on Moreton Bay Today to talk about the challenges facing Council, what it can and can’t do, and whether the recent incidents are pushing State and Federal governments to act more.

Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:48

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court ruled the eviction of homeless campers by the City of Morton Bay Council violated human rights. Talk us through the challenge Council faces now as a result of that decision.

SPEAKER_02 1:00

Yeah, it's uh as you said, Travis, a very complex issue. It's very um a lot of moving parts involved with it, and we've been involved with it now for about five or six years in the City of Morton Bay trying to uh find um solutions and support. Um the court case, Supreme Court case, um we were taken there because of the uh the process of um how we were dealing with the homeless in s in our parks. Um and the judge found there that um you know really some of the outcomes was that um you know there's questions about whether we should have been removing their chattels and stuff, um, you know, different views of opinions there, but the judge has said that we shouldn't be doing that unless we have their permission. Um so that comes down to even stuff that some people might classify as rubbish or junk um being kept by these people in our parks, that we need to get their permission to be able to remove that as well, so that makes it a little bit difficult. Um, when some of these people have the mental health issues that they become hoarders and they want to hoard things, so that makes it a little bit more complex. And also that we shouldn't be asking them to leave our park um unless they've been offered accommodation. So we need to work hand in hand with the Department of State Government um to find out whether the people have been offered alternative accommodation. Um that's often challenging at times because that's um privacy information there that sometimes the state do not want to share with us. Um so we're trying to work for them through that as well. And if the people have been offered uh accommodation and have refused it, and then according to the judge's comments, then um they can be asked to to leave that park over after a period of time. So we're trying to do that. Um you know it it's difficult when some of these people haven't been offered accommodation. Um they do have a big impact on the community. Now we're trying to, I suppose, give more weight to how that impact uh is affecting the broader community as opposed to the past, it was more about the individual's rights. Um so now we're trying to get that balance right. We know there's been a big impact, particularly Redcliffe, and the impact as people are seeing in our parks and the um these campsites are becoming larger and larger, and um the rubbish being collected in them, some of the behaviour in those parks is becoming a a very concern for us as well. And we have limited powers uh as local government to only enforce camping, illegal camping in parks um and rubbish. They're probably the two things, and parking's the other the third element we can uh have control there. But as far as as far as um illegal use of drugs or alcohol in parks, that's up to the police to enforce that. Um about abuse or threats um that happen in parks, and we we know there's incidents or that there's some horrific things going on. Um once again we don't have power to do that, that falls under the state government with the policing powers. Um so there's certain things that we can do and there's a lot of things we can't do uh that we need other levels of government to fall in and and address those concerns for the community. So it makes it make it difficult. We're trying to come up with solutions, as you said, but trying to do things a little bit different, and um that was the idea of Wiley Park, was trying to give some people um who are on that waiting list for the the government housing, who are doing the right things, um, to maybe come to an area that's safe for them, so we have CC TV cameras there to make it safe for them. Also to minor what's going on, make sure that people aren't coming in and taking advantage of them as well. Um, because some of these people have mental health issues, they have drug and alcohol addiction. Um so it's a very complex issue that we're trying to find somewhere for safe for them to go. Uh it's a trial period at Wiley Park um and we're you know we're trying to tighten up as much as we can, but we need all levels of government to chip in and do their bit as well and um find solutions for these people. And I want to acknowledge that the state government are supplying social and affordable housing. It is coming, it's in the pipeline. It's a few years down the track, but it will be coming. Um so there's probably two elements left then is is where do these people go in the interim and while they're waiting for that accommodation. But also the supportive housing and the crisis accommodation for these people who have high needs, whether that's drug and alcohol support needs or mental health needs, uh, which are health issues. So once again we need the health department step into this realm and be in their support to these people. Um, but they need special kind of support and accommodation outcomes, which is the supportive housing um solution that we're asking for, similar to what they do in Brisbane with the common ground model.

SPEAKER_00 5:00

You mentioned about some incidents, Wiley Park, Pelican Park. The community gathered over the weekend, of course. I believe Councillor Carl Winchester attended. Has that prompted any new plans or discussions with state and federal levels of the government, Peter?

SPEAKER_02 5:14

Um not really. We've we've been hoping to the state and federal governments trying to offer solutions and ideas to them to to try and alleviate some of these concerns the community is raising with us. Um I think it was a good way from what I've heard, the feedback from Carl and um from um Sandra that were there was trying to explain what powers we have and what powers we don't have and whose uh remit remit that it is for certain elements that people are are seeing at being complaining about. Um so it's just clearing up some of that muddy waters of what's who's responsible for what. And you know, we don't want to do any finger pointing, but we have certain restrictions on what we have under our local laws, and they're pretty limited. Um we are an element of the state government, we're a beast of the state government, and they have the ultimate powers to do some things here that people are calling for us to do that we're not able to do. So we just wanted to clear that up. Um but we want to work with the state government to find solutions to these problems and try and lessen the impact as much as possible why while social affordable housing comes, but we also need this crisis accommodation to be addressed as well, and we need some um some solutions put forward and we're happy to try and work with the state and federal governments to do that.