In a move to address health and safety concerns, the City of Moreton Bay has spent over $1.4 million in the 2024-25 financial year to enforce its homelessness policies, a recent council report reveals.
The Queensland council outlawed homeless camping in March, citing concerns over public health and safety.
The expenditure includes wages for homelessness rangers and environmental health officers, contractors to demolish camps, and police protection for council staff.
Breakdown of Expenditure
A significant portion of the expenditure, $855,167, went towards wages for homelessness rangers and environmental health officers.
The council also paid $232,862 to contractors for camp demolitions and $175,381 to the Queensland Police for staff protection.
In addition to enforcement costs, the council invested $1,230,092 in Public Space Liaison Officers to refer homeless individuals to support services and $3.7 million in the construction of a Peninsula Support Hub.
Legal Challenge Ahead
The council’s plans to destroy a homeless camp in Kallangur were temporarily halted due to a legal challenge by Basic Rights Queensland.
The council will face the Supreme Court legal challenge in November.
A homeless man, Troy Morrissy, who has lived in the Kallangur camp for over three years, expressed concern that the funds spent on policing homeless camps could have been better utilised to assist homeless individuals in maintaining cleanliness.
Council Response
A City of Moreton Bay spokesperson ruled out providing bins and toilets at the Kallangur homeless camp, stating that “public land is not intended for camping” and that supplying such facilities would encourage unlawful activity.
The spokesperson cited 226 near-miss assault or injury incidents involving homeless people in the past financial year, highlighting the risks posed to council staff.
The spokesperson also mentioned a recent violent attack at a public park in Redcliffe, where a person experiencing homelessness attacked an elderly gentleman with a metal pole.