More than 50 people living in tents in Musgrave Park in Brisbane have been relocated to motels to make way for the upcoming Paniyiri Greek Festival.
For the second year in a row, rough sleepers have been told to vacate the park for the duration of the long running Greek festival, with fences to be erected next week around the park.
The park has a strong historical significance for the local First Nations population: sacred to the Murris as a ceremonial Bora site, it became the home of an Aboriginal land rights protest in 1982, and today houses the Musgrave Park Cultural Centre.
Gamilaraay Kooma activist Ruby Wharton was scathing of the disruption, and called for long-term support for those sleeping rough.
“I recall the impacts last year's Panyeri festival caused in this community [and] how they disregarded the states of those people's lives," she told NITV.
"I would like to see change, accountability and those who call Musgrave Park home permanently housed, suited to their individual requirements."
Ruby Wharton is an advocate for those sleeping rough, and says long-term solutions are needed.
"I think it is long overdue ... with the rising houseless population seeking refuge in Musgrave Park finally being addressed," she said.
"However, I am cognisant that the premise of the relocation is so that the Panyeri festival can take place. I question the intent of this initiative, why the council didn’t act before a large association like the Greek Club needed them to.”
Some have questioned the suitability of the accommodation offered by the government as well.
Rhiannon Ellis is the founder of Feeding 4101, an organisation that provides outreach and support services to the vulnerable in the community. She says many of those offered accommodation were apprehensive.
"Hostel and boarding house style accommodation [can] typically can be violent," she told NITV.
"People are assaulted, people are robbed. There's a lot of drug use. There's a lot of social issues, mental health issues, substance abuse issues, happening within that space.”
“There is very limited to no wraparound support for those people and a lot of people have had trauma in spaces like that before.
"So, we found that a lot of rough sleepers actually would prefer to stay in the park, where they feel safe, and in their community."
While a few tents remain in the park, the local community has branded this move a Band-Aid solution and more needs to be done to find sustainable, long-term housing for those sleeping rough.
Local councillor Trina Massey says the park is and should be a safe space for all.
“Historically, Musgrave Park has been a place for refuge and camping. This is historically known and has been an important part of not only people finding a place to feel safe, especially if they rough sleeping, but also a place for congregation, and meeting.
"That's why the First Nations embassy is here."
Queensland Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon said the government had helped hundreds of homeless people in inner-Brisbane find accommodation.
“Our team has been really focused on Musgrave Park, because we know that that is where a lot of people gravitate to.
"[We have] now helped over 520 people in that inner Brisbane area into accommodation, some people who have been long-term rough sleepers into more permanent housing, which is really important.
"This week, we released Our Place First Nations housing action plan that has a whole range of measures in it."
Ms Scanlon said that included aims to increase homeownership, a dedicated fund for maintenance for Indigenous community housing properties, and make properties
"We of course know that First Nations people are half as likely to own their own home as non-Indigenous Queenslanders, and while there's been improvement in closing the gap, particularly around overcrowding, we still have more work to do.”
