Melbourne city council bans homeless to sleep, leave items in public

Homeless people are no longer allowed to sleep in the central business district of Melbourne City after the council has voted. Local law that bans campers in public places has been endorsed by Melbourne City councillors, giving authorities more power to force rough sleepers to move. The council also moved to ban people leaving any item in a public place without a permit.

The council requires people who wish to leave their possessions in public places to get a permit. Therefore, the new law gives officers the authority to confiscate the belongings of rough sleepers without a permit. It said up to 150kg of accumulated belongings are taken to the landfill weekly.

Previously, camping was defined as being contacted to a car, tent, caravan or structure. Now the definition of camping has broadened. The amended law says “unless in accordance with a permit, a person must not camp in or on any public place.”

But the law has been criticised by activists and charities, causing protesters to stand outside the chambers. Protesters held signs that said Melbourne was a city with a grey heart.

Crisis support agencies have pointed that the new local law might cause more harm than good. They believe that it will not lessen the number of rough sleepers, but will only push them to more dangerous places.

The group is afraid that the local law will expose people sleeping rough to greater risk of assault. It may also be more difficult for homeless services to locate and engage people to support them into housing.

Sharon, one of the rough sleepers in Flinders St, told ABC Radio Melbourne she was there because she felt safe. "The reason I sleep here is because I know there are cameras up the road, I know I'm safe every night," she said.

The council has earlier said it is not illegal to be homeless. But it decided to tighten the definition of camping after violence flared between police and protesters at the homeless campsite outside Flinders Street Station earlier this month. At a media conference, acting Commander for North West Metro Stuart Bateson said protesters became violent when police did an attempt to break up the vagrant campsite.

Lisa Peterson, a supporter of the homeless, said there were only a half a dozen of homeless people in the area. But due to action by some non-protesters, the situation has become a “circus.” Verbal confrontations broke between members of the public and the police, with five people arrested due to their disturbing actions as tensions boiled. “The community didn't need a circus,” she told The Age.