Gold Coast Council's Homeless Patrols: A Divisive Move

0:00Gold Coast Council is stepping up patrols and homeless hotspots to move rough sleepers along faster and more often. They're shifting to a play space strategy, hitting parks and public spots with regular checks instead of waiting for complaints. This means quicker fines up to $8.34 and even taking belongings if folks won't budge. Earlier this week, the Council's Planning Committee voted unanimously to roll this out. In May 2025 and February this year, they already issued 1,500 move-on notices and 19 fines for illegal camping. Officials say 90% of those they encounter are repeat cases who turn down help. Homeless support groups like the Gold Coast Homelessness Network are pushing back hard. They've suspended all cooperation with the Council since last May, arguing this just shuffles people around without fixing the root issues like housing shortages and cost of living spikes. Our Chair Maria Liebeck says, repeated evictions are killing trust, making it tougher to connect folks with real aid for things like mental health, or domestic violence.

1:04Deputy Mayor Mark Hamill admits there's no easy fix, but insist keeping public spaces safe and clean is the Council's main job. He figures constant patrols might nudge more people toward services when moving gets too exhausting. Meanwhile, one counselor wants to mend ties with the network to get data flowing again for better funding. The full Council votes on this policy next month in May, so we'll see if they tweak it or push ahead amid the housing crisis gripping the coast. Stay in form with Sydney News Today, AI-powered updates.