Hey everyone,

Lots has been happening over the past week, so I wanted to keep you in the loop.

Last week, I sat in on a working group meeting where we began discussing possible locations for short-term emergency accommodation for people experiencing homelessness. This is a promising step forward, but already it’s clear there’s a lot of red tape. The same challenges were faced by Abigail Permewan in early 2024 when she pushed for a safe zone. Unfortunately, nothing came of that effort, and there’s a genuine concern the same could happen again if things stall.

Right now, I’ve been told informally that we’re considered to be in Stage One of my proposal. That means the focus is on securing multiple sites for temporary shelter, while also working toward longer-term housing solutions. While council may not adopt the proposal in full, there does seem to be interest in exploring certain aspects of it that align with their current priorities.

Meanwhile today, people are still camped along creeks and in flood zones. This is life-threatening, as these areas are prone to flash flooding, and the risk will only grow as the homeless population increases.

And this isn’t just the case in Nambour. This issue of rapid growing homelessness is everywhere across Australia, and it’s not getting better by any means. Behind every delay, real people are suffering. The question is: how much longer can we allow that to continue?

There is also the constant exhaustion of balancing advocacy for people experiencing homelessness while acknowledging the reality that our parks are not a solution. It is unsustainable, unsafe, and environmentally irresponsible. Our town parks were never meant to carry the weight of such complex social issues. People deserve better than to be pushed into spaces that work against them. And families, walkers, and the general public deserve to have safe access to the parks and green spaces they contribute to and rely on. We need places that work with people, places designed for safety, dignity, and real pathways forward. 

Homelessness should be recognised as a crisis because of the scale of harm and the urgency of response required. Declaring it a crisis would elevate it to the level of priority it deserves, making clear that urgent and coordinated action is needed. While such a declaration does not itself remove red tape, it signals that government must move with the speed and seriousness of an emergency in using the tools already at its disposal.

What began as a simple petition has now grown into a deeper look at the barriers that keep real solutions from moving forward.Reform is clearly needed — but many NGOs face a real tension. They depend on government funding to keep vital frontline services going, which can make it difficult to openly push for the systemic changes they know are necessary. This is not a failure of the NGOs, but a reflection of the structural pressures they operate under.

So this is where we’re at: urgent humanitarian need right now, against a backdrop of whether the system will even allow the reform that’s truly required.

On a practical note, over the past week quite a few of you have tried to add me as a friend to share your ideas. Instead, I’ll be setting up a Facebook page soon so you can message me directly and stay updated more easily. I’ll share an updated link to that page once it’s ready.

I also have another interview coming up on ABC Radio Sunshine Coast this Friday morning, where I’ll be discussing some of the barriers we’re facing right now.

Thank you for continuing to stand behind this cause. The voices in this petition are making sure homelessness in Nambour can’t be ignored.

Warm regards,

Helen Tagg