Council
5 March, 2025
State officers attend Cruice
THE Department of Housing and Public Works (DoHPW), joined by state-funded specialist homelessness service Encircle, visited Cruice Park on February 26, following The Sentinel’s enquiries into the DoHPW relations with residents of the park, located near Woodford.
The department’s Critical Response Team (CRT) and Encircle observed nine people sleeping rough, with two of these engaging with the CRT, while the other seven people declined assistance.
This comes after The Sentinel revealed insights provided by long-term residents of the park last week, with several mentioning the lack of engagement and consultation they have received from government, especially Moreton Bay Council.
However, despite Council cleaning the amenities and maintaining the bins, Cruice Park is actually state-owned by the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) and is operated as a rest area with a maximum stay of 22 hours.
Council does not have jurisdiction over the park. A spokesperson from the DoHPW noted that, while the department cannot comment on individual cases, “there have been instances of people who either decline an offer of accommodation or choose not to engage when approached by the CRT”.
“This financial year, the department has provided $11.9 million for seven organisations delivering specialist homelessness services (SHS) in the Moreton Bay region, supporting the complex needs of people in housing crisis,” they said.
“In addition to this, the department has a CRT who is on-the-ground across the Moreton Bay region visiting areas where people are known to be sleeping rough, including Cruice Park.”
Anyone in the Moreton Bay Region who requires housing assistance can contact state-funded SHS, including Encircle, 24/7 on (07) 3465 3276, The Salvation Army on (07) 3832 1491, or the Homeless Hotline on 1800 474 753.
Or contact their local Housing Service Centre by calling 13 QGOV or visiting www.qld.gov.au/housing/public-community-housing/housing-service-centre.
