Homeless man’s camp torched as Ballina wrestles with rough sleeping crisis
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A homeless man has escaped unharmed after his camp and apparently his only major possession were destroyed in a fierce early-morning fire in Ballina.
The blaze erupted shortly after 4am today at a rough sleeping camp off Canal Road, opposite the former Ballina RSL bowling club.
A man camped nearby said it was believed the fire had been deliberately lit and developed quickly , becoming an intense inferno, completely destroying the camp and a truck belonging to the man who had been living there.
The occupant, a middle-aged man, escaped without injury but was badly shaken and has since been found emergency accommodation.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
The camp is in bushland about 300 metres from the nearest homes.
Ballina News Daily observed a number of dismantled bicycles and bicycle parts around the site.
Social media reports suggest bicycle theft and dismantling has been occurring at some rough sleeping camps around Ballina, but there is no evidence at this stage linking that claim, the bicycle parts or any alleged criminal activity to the fire.
The site was taped of by police as investigations continue.
The incident comes just days after Ballina Shire councillors debated how the community should respond to a growing and increasingly difficult homelessness problem.
Council adopts new approach
Above: How the site looked before the fire – and how it looked this morning (main photo)
Council last Thursday backed a new Homelessness Strategy aimed at balancing the welfare and dignity of people sleeping rough with the rights of residents and the wider community.
But the strategy also highlights how limited Council’s powers are.
Council acknowledges it is neither a housing provider nor a specialist homelessness service.
Its role is largely to connect people with services, advocate for better housing outcomes and manage public spaces.
Police also cannot simply order somebody to leave a public place because they are homeless.
Under NSW rules, move-on powers relate to a person’s conduct — including obstruction, intimidation, certain drug-related activity or intoxication — rather than homelessness itself.
Council’s strategy instead places considerable emphasis on connecting rough sleepers with existing services.
Since July last year, Council has referred more than 35 people to the NSW Government’s Assertive Outreach Program, where specialist workers attempt to connect people sleeping rough with temporary accommodation, longer-term housing and other support.
Mary’s Place, operated by St Vincent de Paul, has become another central part of the response.
It assists about 350 people each week and provides more than 500 free meals and drinks, along with showers, laundry, clothing, bedding, phones, computers and referrals to other services. Council is considering ongoing financial support for the service.
But where should people sleep?
Deputy Mayor Damien Loone told Ballina News Daily after Thursday’s meeting that the unresolved question was where people should actually be allowed to sleep.
“Where do we put these people that can be safe at the same time without camping on someone’s front doorstep or front lawn?” Cr Loone said.
“Being homeless is not a criminal offence.”
Cr Loone said homelessness was fundamentally a State Government responsibility and questioned whether it was feasible for Ballina Shire Council to establish and operate its own designated camping area.
He said most local rough sleepers were camping in secluded areas and causing no problems, while some had fled domestic violence or family breakdown and others faced complex personal issues.
The Mayor also told Thursday’s meeting the State Government ultimately needed to take responsibility rather than shift the problem onto councils.
Queensland’s City of Moreton Bay is now trialling another approach, providing a legal camping area for people unable to access emergency or crisis accommodation, with toilets, rubbish facilities, CCTV and security.
