The NSW Government Is Trying To Change The Law So They Can Kick Out The Homeless Tent City

This afternoon, on the second day of National Homelessness Week, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the state government would be introducing new legislation that will give them the power to remove the homeless tent city from Martin Place.

The new legislation would allow the NSW Government to remove people engaging in “unauthorised activity” from Crown Lands in Sydney if they are deemed to be a threat to the public. It comes after the Premier expressed frustration with the City of Sydney’s failure to remove the tent city overnight; something she said made her “uncomfortable” just last week.

“Last night I heard the Mayor say that the tent city would be gone overnight and that hasn’t happened, and I said we would give council until last night, it has not happened, so we’ll be taking action today,” Berejiklian told reporters this morning.

However, Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore says that the city has indeed taken action, successfully negotiating a deal with tent city last representative Lanz Priestly last night which would see residents voluntarily leave Martin Place once a 24-hour safe space for vulnerable people is established somewhere in the CBD.

In a press release this afternoon, Moore said the state government had already agreed to establish this space, and that “all they need to do to resolve this situation peacefully is work with us on an interim solution” until a permanent space can be found. In other words, the tent city residents are reluctant to leave their existing safe space until they’re certain a new space will be available, and Moore is calling on the government to assist with that.

“Instead the Premier is moving to change the law, potentially setting up the risk of violent conflicts between police and vulnerable homeless people as we saw in Melbourne,” she said.

We think it’s possible to resolve this peacefully, but it can’t happen unless govt & people in camp cont to work in good faith #martinplace

— Clover Moore (@CloverMoore) August 8, 2017

When questioned about whether the government’s proposed legislation threatens people’s right to protest on Crown Lands, Berejiklian said that “what is happening in Martin Place is beyond protest because it’s unauthorised activity which is compromising the safety of the most vulnerable”. It’s not clear how a peaceful connection of tents and a free street kitchen is compromising safety.

Meanwhile Priestley reiterated that the street kitchen and safe space is actually working to enhance safety. “This is addressing a whole lot of gaps in the so called safety nets that federal and state governments and local bodies have been asleep on,” he said in a video posted live to Facebook this afternoon.

“This clearly addresses a need. If the government at all levels or any level was doing its job, the people who are coming here would be flocking to the government’s services and not flocking to us,” he said.

.@GladysB Just walked past #tentcity in #MartinPlace & didn't feel uncomfortable with the homeless. Not sure what u r worried about?

— Trove Julie Library (@julie_library) August 8, 2017

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Feature image via Sydney 24/7 Street Kitchen/Facebook