Ballina Shire Council (BSC) has drawn praise from the the national leadership of the Greens Party for welcoming rough sleepers other councils have been turning away.
New homeless camps have been appearing in parks and gardens around Ballina island as homeless people and squatters are being moved on to the north, east and west. The NSW Government is evicting squatters from flood damaged homes in South Lismore, Clarence Valley council is emptying caravan parks of long-term stayers and councils in South-East Queensland are taking a hardline approach to confiscating tents and moving people on from parks.
By contrast, BSC unanimously adopted a motion by Greens Councillor Kiri Dicker for the shire to formally commit to the NSW Protocol for Homeless People in Public Places, which effectively allows people to camp wherever they like in public parks and gardens without being challenged.
Greens NSW Senator David Shoebridge made a special video celebrating Ballina’s compassionate approach and praising the Green’s Party’s three elected councillors for “kicking goals”.
Mr Shoebridge said while Queensland councils were trying to “criminalise the homeless”, the Ballina Greens were taking a different approach.
In the video, Greens Councillor Erin Karsten described it as “absolutely amazing” the party could achieve such progress on what she described as a conservative council.
Councillor Kiri Dicker said sending in the police to move homeless people on would not be happening in Ballina “under our watch”.
She said the council would also be looking at making council-owned properties available to homeless people to use as crisis accommodation.
Mr Shoebridge said the Greens were making a big difference to the lives of the needy by ensuring council resources were now being used to provide accommodation for the homeless.
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