Congratulation to the six Councillors who voted to improve community safety and amenity on Wednesday 10th December. Three voted against the motion. The Council meeting was attended by around 100 residents with 45 speakers. Numerous residents spoke of their personal experience of verbal abuse, physical assaults and feeling unsafe when encountering encampments on our streets and some against the proposal.

Brett Davison who tabled his ‘Safer Streets’ petition with 2,357 signatures (digital and written) said, “everyone has a human right to be safe when walking on our streets. Every resident, visitor, retail and hospitality worker has a right to be safe.”

Crs Cunsolo, Hardy, Jay, Mears, Makin and Thomann voted to introduce a new local laws that allows authorised officers to remove and impound encampment equipment if a person behaves in a manner such that the safety of residents is put at risk or the ‘amenity’, ‘comfort’ or ‘wellbeing’ of any other person is adversely affected.

Speaking in support of the motion, Mayor Makin said “the new encampment law  is activated by antisocial behaviours, and the Council and Police need more tools to deal with unacceptable behaviours that put residents’ safety at risk.”

Victorian Police support the proposed encampment law and have committed to joint street patrols with Council’s Local Laws officers to enforce the new encampment laws.

Deputy Mayor Mears said “we voted unanimously in February to investigate removing the camping laws exemptions that allow homeless people and those with complex to camp on our streets. After much consultation and discussion, we have come up with a new local law to that seeks to address antisocial and criminal behaviours. This new law will work alongside the outcomes of the Community Safety Roundtable and importantly does not punish the homeless.”

Cr Thomann said, “Leadership is protecting residents from intimidation and fear while protecting vulnerable people from further trauma. Homelessness is not a crime. But threatening behaviour, illegal activity, and serious amenity impacts are problems that require action. And this Council must be equipped to act.”

The bureaucratic delays over the past 10 months have frustrated residents and business owners who want immediate improvements in community safety and amenity.

Deputy Mayor Mears requested Council Officers to fast track the new law which is subject to statutory requirements such as community consultation, amendments to the police protocol and legal approvals. The new law is expected to come back to Council in June 2026 for approval.

Councillors who voted against the motion questioned whether the initiative would be effective when there is a shortage of affordable housing. But they did not acknowledge the inconvenient truth that many of the rough sleepers have accommodation and choose to gather on the streets where they can participate in an open-air drug market.

110,000 people living in Port Phillip have a human right to be safe, but our safety and amenity is put at risk by fewer than 100 rough sleepers in encampments that have caused the decline of the once iconic and thriving retail and dining precincts in St Kilda and other suburbs is evident. Elwood and Albert Park have no street encampment and are thriving.

Doing nothing is not an option.