Broken Hill says it has no land for a homeless camp — ABC News Australia
Broken Hill City Council in Australia told the charity Feeding Friends that, according to preliminary findings, it has no available municipal land to establish a transitional camp for people without housing. The organisation had requested a plot of land or an unused building for a support centre with a food service point, laundry facilities and a temporary camp, ABC News Australia reports.
The need for a permanent centre
Feeding Friends president Don Barron said demand for the organisation’s assistance is growing amid the cost-of-living crisis. The charity has been distributing hot meals to people without housing for five years, but now needs a permanent location for food services.
According to Barron, people without housing in Broken Hill include young families with children who attend school but live in cars. He linked this primarily to a housing shortage, unaffordability and rising living costs.
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Approvals and consultations
The council voted to check land availability, but Broken Hill Mayor Tom Kennedy said preliminary findings indicate that no plots are available. According to him, Feeding Friends will have to purchase land independently to proceed with the project.
Kennedy also noted that establishing the camp would require planning approvals and broad community consultation. Before the council meeting, some local residents expressed concern about the possible impact of such a facility on neighbours and businesses.
University of Sydney senior law lecturer Derwent Koshott stressed that the lawful establishment of a transitional camp requires planning permits. In his view, this case also points to the lack of an adequate legal framework in New South Wales to address homelessness.
