Arabic version: هيئة كوينزلاند تعترض على مخيم المشردين في حديقة ويلي

According to ABC News, Economic Development Queensland has issued a show cause notice to the City of Moreton Bay over the council’s use of Wyllie Park in Petrie as a designated campsite for homeless people. The notice gives the council an opportunity to explain why enforcement action should not be taken.

The council turned the park into a free homeless camping area in August. Economic Development Queensland said Wyllie Park’s lawfully approved purpose was green space rather than a homeless camp. The park sits in the Moreton Bay Central Priority Development Area, placing it within the agency’s remit.

An Economic Development Queensland spokesperson said the agency had responsibilities under the Act to regulate and ensure land was used lawfully within the development area. The spokesperson also said the Queensland Government had committed more than $1 billion to support services and crisis accommodation over the next four years.

The proposed 12-month trial at Wyllie Park was intended to provide 30 sites for up to 60 campers at a time. It was to include toilets, bins, lighting, CCTV, 24/7 security, and access to government services and local charities.

Housing Minister Sam O’Connor criticised the council’s decision in August, saying the government had not been consulted and raising concerns that concentrating vulnerable campers in one location could create safety risks and place pressure on emergency services. Mayor Peter Flannery said the camp provided somewhere for people to go without fear of eviction.

In March, the Supreme Court found the City of Moreton Bay had violated the human rights of homeless campers by evicting them and destroying their belongings when they had nowhere else to go. Nourish Street operator Beau Haywood said he feared the latest development could lead to another wave of evictions and hoped accommodation would be provided for Wyllie Park residents.