Hundreds of people sleeping rough have lost what little shelter they had after a powerful storm tore through south-east Queensland, striking as authorities moved to close another nearby tent city.
The storm, described by some as a mini-cyclone, hit the region on Wednesday and caused widespread damage. Among the worst affected were several parks south of Brisbane, where tents used by hundreds of homeless people were destroyed.
Bethania Community Centre supports people experiencing homelessness in Bethania and neighbouring suburbs.
Centre manager Ashleigh Hassell told the Daily Mail that most residents lost both their makeshift homes and their limited possessions.
‘I was really shocked. They were completely smashed. Stuff was scattered all over the park, blown in every direction. Their marquees had completely collapsed,’ she said.
‘I just stood there, absolutely gobsmacked. It was incredibly sad to see.’
‘There were people whose roofs had blown off and many fences were damaged. But nothing compares with what these people have been through. It was deeply disheartening.’
‘Some of the tents were fully set up and people had started to feel settled. Now their belongings have been soaked, damaged, blown away or torn apart.’
Dozens of homeless camps across south-east Queensland were destroyed by a freak storm on Wednesday
Winds of up to 100km/h swept through south-east Queensland, bringing down trees and power lines
Belongings and tents at a Bethania homeless camp were left ‘soaked, damaged, blown away or torn apart’
Volunteers began clearing debris from several tent communities on Thursday while appeals went out for donations of essential supplies.
Ms Hassell said she had been overwhelmed by the speed and scale of the community response.
‘We received a huge amount of bottled water, along with donations of money and plenty of food,’ she said.
‘One man went to Bunnings and spent $200 on supplies, including a 16-person tent. It is humbling to see how caring our community can be.’
But she condemned social media users who mocked the homeless instead of offering assistance.
‘It was painful to read some of the comments on Facebook. People joked about “running down” homeless people and questioned why they deserved help. It was disgusting,’ Ms Hassell said.
‘People were making assumptions that some of the homeless were addicted to drugs. I read one of those comments to a man we helped today, and he invited them to come down and watch him take a drug test.’
‘We help everyone. Many people volunteer to check in at the centre every day to show they are doing something, rather than simply sitting in a tent.’
Bethania Community Centre received an outpouring of support from locals who donated goods (above), shelters and money
As hundreds of people retrieved belongings damaged by the storm, a state agency ordered the closure of a council-approved tent city
The storms also damaged homes in south-east Queensland, although many owners are likely to have insurance
By the end of Friday, the centre had identified 12 groups needing assistance.
‘On Friday, we’ll visit the remaining main locations we usually attend,’ Ms Hassell said.
‘We’ll check that everyone is safe and see what support we can provide. For the most part, it will involve helping people deal with the mud and clean up.’
At the same time, in Brisbane’s north, the Queensland Government intervened in a council decision to establish a designated tent city for people sleeping rough.
The City of Moreton Bay council converted Wyllie Park into a free, designated site for homeless people in August.
That site will now be dismantled.
Economic Development Queensland (EDQ) threatened legal action this week unless the council complied with a series of demands relating to the site.
The conditions included preventing anyone else from using the area and requiring existing occupants to leave when their registration expired.
A Brisbane home was left with its roof torn off by the powerful winds
The SES said it responded to hundreds of requests for assistance
EDQ determined that the site was ‘illegal’ because it fell within the Moreton Bay Central Priority Development Area.
The council said it would follow EDQ’s direction.
READ MORE: Homeless Australian found sleeping on a floor in Thailand
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