Queensland shuts free homeless camp after government pressure
Queensland shut down a free tent camp after the state government threatened legal action to evict residents.
The Moreton Bay Council started Wyllie Park in August as a trial to house people with no access to emergency shelter. Now the camp is closing.
Economic Development Queensland issued a show cause notice saying the park sits on a priority development area. It demanded the council evict campers when their registration expires and stop accepting new residents.
The council has agreed to comply, but no closure date has been set. The state government said those affected had been offered emergency and hotel accommodation.
But advocates say these offers often mean just a couple of nights in distant motels with no guarantee of where residents will go next. Residents include people with disabilities, families, working people, and those facing homelessness twice over.
Homelessness Australia called the shutdown cruel, saying the issue reflects a nationwide crisis driven by unaffordable housing and rising living costs.
- August
- Camp opening month
- 12 months
- Intended trial duration
- Peter Flannery
- Mayor
- Jarrod Bleijie
- Deputy Premier
Why it mattersThe closure shows how governments can dismantle support for vulnerable people. It also signals Australia's broader failure to provide enough affordable housing.
AustraliaQueensland joins other states closing homeless services; the camp's closure affects dozens of residents facing rehousing to substandard alternatives, and reflects a national homelessness crisis.
