‘Disgraceful situation’: South West MP James Hayward pushing for temporary shelter to house Bunbury’s homeless

A South West MP has again called for urgent action to be taken to provide shelter for vulnerable homeless people camping out at Bunbury’s own “tent city”. Bunbury-based Nationals MLC James Hayward is imploring the State Government to do more to house the 13 people believed to be sleeping at the Graham Bricknell Memorial Music Shell in the CBD each night. It comes as the National Suicide Prevention and Trauma Recovery Project is leading the charge for the development of a homeless death register for all of WA, estimating one person dies on the streets in Bunbury each month. The age-old homelessness issue arose in State Parliament again last month when Mr Hayward questioned whether Bunbury’s old fire station could be used as a temporary homeless shelter. Mr Hayward, pictured, said he understood there was a contamination issue due to the site’s previous use, but it was otherwise suitable and was sitting empty. “The situation is disgraceful,” he said. “These people will be living at the shell for five to 10 years because that’s how long it will take to begin to solve this. “Why should we leave them at risk?” Mr Hayward’s comments came after NSPTRP co-ordinator Gerry Georgatos visited the South West last month and logged 50 street-present homeless people within an hour and a half across Eaton, Australind, Bunbury and surrounds. Mr Georgatos also estimated one person died on the streets in Bunbury each month and called for a formal homeless death register for the State, with figures also showing at least 56 homeless people died in Perth last year. Mr Georgatos said based on the number of homeless people the NSPTRP logged in the Bunbury area and a homeless death rate of 5 to 6 per cent, he estimated 12 homeless deaths would take place in Bunbury each year. With no consistent data collected on the deaths of homeless people in Australia, Mr Georgatos said a death register would help personify and humanise those dead. “It’s now clearly evident to me that there is more than 100 street-present homeless in Bunbury and it could be even double that, I’ve already met 50 in an hour and a half,” he said. “We have a strikingly visible homelessness that’s increased in street presence in Perth, but what I have just seen in Bunbury it’s reprehensible, it should be unimaginable in a town the size of Bunbury. “I would say that we have one dozen deaths on the Bunbury streets each year, that would be my estimation.” The Department of Communities was unable to confirm the figures. A spokesman said the recently launched By-Name List shared the location, contact details and key information of rough sleepers between government agencies and service providers to help with the rollout of support. Bunbury MLA Don Punch said the list had been expanded to include people in Bunbury as part of the State Government’s $34.5 million Housing First Homelessness Initiative, which will see Bunbury services Anglicare WA, Doors Wide Open and Breakaway Aboriginal Corporation provide wraparound support through case management, outreach and after-hours help. “These agencies are working together and with the Department of Communities to ensure people engaged in the program are supported to access appropriate services and do not fall through the gaps,” he said. “There are a number of other services in Bunbury and throughout the South West that support individuals and families experiencing homelessness. “These sorts of comments by Perth-based groups ignore the efforts and local knowledge of people who are working in Bunbury everyday.” But Mr Hayward said this was not enough to help those sleeping at the Music Shell. “It’s not an environment that is safe to be in and we can do better than just leaving them there while the Government sorts out a long-term solution,” he said. Anglicare WA South West service manager Cathy Mills previously told the Times the main obstacle slowing the program was the lack of available social housing. Ms Mills said Housing First relied on placing people in housing and then providing them with the wraparound support — something they could not do with the lack of housing stock. “Without having the stock to put people in it really makes a difference,” she said. “There’s a big shortage of social housing but at the same time we’re doing all we can to help them.” The State Government this week announced a record investment in social housing from the 2021-22 State Budget, which will see 275 new regional homes by mid-2023. Housing locations are yet to be announced.