Eddie Hyland Park camping on public land statement
Published 09 April 2025
Attributable to City of Moreton Bay spokesperson:
Camping on public land, and the storing of goods on public land, contravenes the City Council’s Local Laws and is therefore illegal for all people in City of Moreton Bay. Compliance notices are issued to people who do not comply with the City’s local laws.
Rough sleepers at Eddie Hyland Park have received a significant amount of notice to comply. (In excess of 2 weeks.) Today authorised Council Officers acted on notices that were not complied with, providing additional notices for further time to comply during the day. This was a scheduled compliance action.
Items that enable camping on public land, as well as items being stored on public land, were removed with consent. General discarded waste material including empty food packets and bags were also removed.
There were 12 people on site at Eddie Hyland Park today. Eight (8) were previously issued compliance notices and were issued another notice today providing one hour to stop camping. Four (4) were newly identified people and were issued compliance notices to stop camping on public land.
Two (2) of the sites cleared today were abandoned and surrounding rubbish removed. Due to the significant amount, and unsanitary nature of the rubbish, this could not be done by hand, so an excavator was used to ensure public health for Council Officers and members of the community was maintained.
Council officers spoke to one (1) individual and meticulously supported them with gathering their personal items. The occupant confirmed what was valuable and what items they did not wish to keep, that Council could remove.
All individuals at Eddie Hyland Park, who had been issued with a compliance notice, have been offered the opportunity to be referred by Council to specialist homelessness services and the Department of Housing and Public Works.
The Queensland Police Service (QPS) was in attendance today due to Eddie Hyland Park being identified as a location of high risk following aggressive and antisocial behaviour including assaults. These assaults have previously been reported to QPS.
City of Moreton Bay’s local laws reflect community needs and Council has overwhelming support for these.
Our community has raised significant concerns about the decline of public space access, amenity and safety in relation to people sleeping rough.
City of Moreton Bay’s camping on public land local law is consistent with neighbouring South East Queensland Councils and Local Governments across Queensland.
It is disappointing that some advocates continue to subject the most vulnerable in our community to accept unsafe, makeshift shelters in public parks as a reasonable solution for homelessness. City of Moreton Bay and the broader community does not accept this as a way forward. Public spaces are not fit for habitation and people sleeping rough deserve secure accommodation.
City of Moreton Bay will continue to work with the Federal and State Government to advocate for and refer individuals to the State Government of Queensland’s Department of Housing and Public Works and specialist homelessness support services, for alternative accommodation options and appropriate support, including the introduction of overnight shelters.