Bundaberg Regional Council is calling on the State Government for greater homelessness support as part of advocacy commitments under the Safe Spaces, Thriving Places project which looks to create holistic change for the CBD and the wider region.
Council put forward two motions at the 129th Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) Annual Conference addressing the impacts of housing and homelessness on regional communities and calling for a state-led, coordinated response to support it and other Councils in a similar position.
Both motions received resounding support from the representatives of Queensland Councils.
Meanwhile Bundaberg Region Mayor Helen Blackburn has written to Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Timothy Nicholls requesting more action, transparency and guidance around illegal tobacco and vape stores.
“Local communities right throughout our state are being impacted by homelessness, housing shortages and the illegal trade of tobacco and vapes,” Mayor Blackburn said.
“Our Safe Spaces, Thriving Places project is bringing together relevant local agencies and organisations who can help but these are not Local Government matters.
“We need urgent action from State and Federal Governments to make sure regional Queensland communities aren’t left doing all the heavy lifting and our people are getting the support they need.
“These are significant issues for our community but they are not unique to the Bundaberg Region.
“We need a state-led response and a coordinated approach that will help us and the many other Queensland Councils in a similar position.”
Motions for homelessness support
BRC motion 1 – Addressing drivers of homelessness
That the LGAQ calls on the State and Federal Government to invest in addressing the root causes of the current homelessness problem in Queensland and take a systems approach that moves beyond individual services, instead focusing on preventing homelessness, more effectively supporting individuals experiencing homelessness, and providing financial assistance to the local governments who are having to manage and respond to this problem.
BRC motion 2 – Accountability for addressing homelessness across Queensland
The LGAQ calls on the State and Federal Government to ensure greater accountability and support for addressing homelessness throughout Queensland by:
- increasing resourcing of relevant State and Federal agencies and tenancy services and programs, to ensure people have secured adequate and stable housing, as well as ongoing access to support services to sustain their tenancy, prior to exiting correctional, mental health, and/or alcohol and other drug facilities, and
- ensuring regular and transparent auditing, assessing and reporting on:
- all State/Federal funds committed to public, private, not-for-profit and charitable agencies organisations for the purpose of addressing the drivers of homelessness and homelessness response in regional cities and towns;
- required outcomes and performance indicators aligned with State/Federal funding; and
- performance against these.
Find out more about the Safe Spaces, Thriving Places project here.
Instead of spending $80,000 on a dog park in Moore Park Beach, an area that has plenty of open space for dogs to play, that money would have been far better spent on homelessness. The few dogs that use the dog park have homes, many people do not as can be seen by tents and lean-tos where they were never seen before.
And I fail to see what illegal tobacco stores have to do with homelessness. Council has some empty buildings in Bundaberg which could easily be converted into dwellings for the homeless. Better use of Council property could go some way to fixing this problem.
Hi, an immediate and short term solution to the homelessness crisis our residents are experiencing. We have a very large seven story building in the centre of Bundy.
The Auswide Bank building could very easily be converted to a supported accommodation facility. Being central to all of the support services offered in Bundaberg. Short term could be negotiated and managed by a team of experienced professionals who can monitor and assist tenants with obtaining long term housing.
Logistics around this would involve local charities, parole officers, community services organisations, who have trained staff onboard to manage daily activities and management of appointments and daily outings. Centrelink would be a core service provider involved also.
Just an idea to help these victims of circumstances out of their control.
Thank you for taking the time to have a look at my message.
Bundaberg Regional Council has multiple halls and venues used sparingly in the district with facilities that should be used as temporary accommodation for the homeless and people doing it tough. All events at these halls venues should and can be accommodated at the Multiplex Building in the region in this time of crisis, to support less fortunate people in society.
Loraine Wardle I was also thinking along those lines, they would need to have around the clock paid staff to oversee some unfortunate people who have drug and alcohol problems and severe mental health issues. Which would run into the hundreds of thousands I would imagine running this type of thing. If it was people who just can’t find affordable housing this would be a different matter. Just a thought, there is never an easy quick fix in life I suppose.
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Both state and federal governments are broke. The way the ALP is throwing money around is unacceptable and unbelievable. The council could cut back on footpaths for a start would be a big help.
We are down around 700 farm jobs compared to before COVID likely because of a downturn in backpackers could we not give the homeless picking jobs or crop dusting jobs? This might also indicate space that they could stay at in backpackers hostels.
Well well, everyone can thank the government for all of these problems,how can you rent a place to call home when the rent prices are so out of control,and benefits are not enough to cover food, electricity, medications,fuel,and what not,,now the tobacco stores, people can’t afford to buy a normal packet of smokes, Wonder why,,oh that’s right,the government aren’t making anything out of it poor politicians,,and what is buying a cheap pack of smokes have anything to do with impacting the community,, anything to blame it on,,cut the prices raise benefits and everyone may be able to survive,, politicians don’t deserve the amount of pay they get,it’s always lies and bullshit to the people of Australia,, supposed to be the lucky country,,yeah maybe for some,,wake up government
Homelessness is not just about providing accommodation.
There are many more factors here.
Some homeless people I have talked to absolutely do not want to live in a house or a unit and are happy to have no rules to their existence.
Some want to just opt out of society all together and find the shadiest tree in the warmest climate they can to snooze.
Some seriously can’t live a domestic life anymore due to serious abuse of drugs or alcohol, mental illness, violent behaviour etc etc.
Some are just waiting to get back to jail.
Obviously that is not every homeless person, but o think the Council is on the right track trying to address the different reasons for homelessness without destabilising our accomodation and rental system by offering free accommodation everywhere.
Raise benefits???
So everyone just walks around and gets paid to do nothing.
Without government , we would have no roads, no hospitals no nothing.
And all those who claim benefits would get none.
I think it may be you who needs to wake up sir.
Lucky country means anyone who is wanting to “Have a Go” will make it here.
And hey, you are free to leave at anytime.
@Harry our governments are not broke far from it.
The Federal Goverment has a AAA credit rating & can easily manage it’s debt level.
The State government has a AA+ credit rating & can also easily mange it’s debt level.
The Bundaberg regional council has a debt that is considered low unlike many others.
Peter Costello instituted a baby bonus from 2004 – 2012 with flow on effect lasting until 2019. These additonal kids are now starting to become tax payers. The federal government is already getting record tax receipts.
As a matter of fact a prudent strategy would be for them to borrow more money to accelerate the economy once inflation is properly under control. Taking full advantage of Peter Costello’s idea.
I noticed a property recently it has 2 kit homes on it. It’s a small property but I’d imagine these could be rented cheaply.
Kit homes are around $60,000 we who own our homes could often put a kit home on it as sort of like a granny flat & rent these out cheaply. There’s abit more expense connecting utilities to it. We could use our own backyards in areas where traffic flow is lower it wouldn’t even be a problem.
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We could even put kit homes on land for a very reasonable price at places like Miara, Apple Tree Creek, Childers & Bundaberg North. These areas all have very reasonably priced land.
why not make camping place with kitchen , shower , toilet facility in park and make homeless people live there
need higher concrete place ground or roof for tent to stop wet by rain.
they do not want to or can not live inside home or building with other people, They like outside.
do not just kick them out from park but make them stay in park safely
they need to pay some fee to stay in camping place
no strangers who stealing or violence to homeless
they need to pay some facility using fee as they receive centrelink payment.