Homeless people living in tents in a city park have been pushed out to make room for a two-day cultural festival.
Up to 50 people residing in Brisbane‘s Musgrave Park have been relocated to temporary accommodation by homelessness services to allow an upcoming Paniyiri Greek Festival to proceed.
The festival is expected to run across two days on May 20 and May 21, with reports of people already being moved out of the area on Thursday and Friday.
A Department of Communities, Housing and Digital Economy spokeswoman said the Queensland government was continuing to reach out to ensure people experiencing homelessness were supported.
Up to 50 homeless people have been moved out of Brisbane’s Musgrave Park (pictured) ahead of a two-day cultural festival
More people are being forced to live on the streets and in their cars amid the state’s worsening housing crisis (pictured, tents erected in Musgrave Park)
‘We have activated a dedicated Housing Pathways team who has been working with key stakeholders to support people experiencing or at risk of homelessness in the Brisbane Local Government area, including Musgrave Park,’ she told The Courier-Mail.
‘Alternative accommodation options have been identified and are available, including additional accommodation in boarding houses and local funded Specialist Homelessness Services.’
The people who remain living in Musgrave Park will be offered free entry in and out of the event, organising committee co-chairman Chris Kazonis said.
‘There will be fencing around the people living in the park,’ he added.
‘They can walk straight out like they do into the street.’
The Paniyiri Greek Festival (pictured) is set to run across two days on May 20 and May 21, with organising committee co-chairman Chris Kazonis promising free entry to anyone still living in the park
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‘It just means to go through the park they will have to go through the main entrances which they will have free access to.’
The move comes as the state’s housing crisis rapidly worsens, leaving more people sleeping on the streets and in cars.
Brisbane’s Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner is set to promise $1 million on Saturday ahead of his budget to turn the never-used Pinkenba Covid quarantine facility into emergency housing.
‘Today I’m committing $1m towards upgrading the Pinkenba quarantine facility so it can be used as emergency accommodation,’ Mr Schrinner said.
‘That’s a million more reasons for the state government to finally get behind this proposal.’
Brisbane’s Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner is set to promise $1 million on Saturday towards turning the unused Pinkenba Covid quarantine facility (pictured) into emergency housing
Mr Schrinner (pictured) said the pledge gives ‘a million more reasons for the state government to finally get behind this proposal’
‘I know this facility wasn’t purpose-built for crisis housing,’ he said, ‘but it’s a whole lot better than living in a car or a tent.’
‘And that’s occurring right across Brisbane right now while this 500-bed facility sits idle.’
The allocated $1 million would go towards creating amenities such as laundry facilities at Pinkenba, as well as Brisbane City Council transport and library services.
State and federal governments remain unenthusiastic about the proposal, however, with a Queensland government spokeswoman saying it would support the use of the facility for a ‘specific cohort of people’ if there was a practical, cost-effective way to do so with the support of non-government service providers.
‘We’re facilitating conversations between community and housing groups, governments, and Brisbane City Council,’ the spokeswoman told The Courier-Mail.
‘Community service providers who have toured the facility have continually expressed concerns that it is not suitable for people requiring intensive support or with complex needs and is not suitable for families.’
