A mass clearing of a riverside camp by locals has revealed shocking evidence of Australia’s crippling cost of living crisis.
Last week, the Ocean Crusaders organization removed 820kg of rubbish from an abandoned homeless camp along Petrie Creek on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.
The trash haul included 14 shopping carts, baby strollers, clothing and furniture and took four hours to remove.
The cleanup came after the homeless encampment was abandoned.
Ocean Crusaders is a nonprofit organization founded in 2010 that cleans waterways and beaches.
“Our crusade is to educate people about the need to care for our oceans while specializing in cleaning them up through business and community events,” Ocean Crusaders states on its Facebook page.
Ocean Crusaders founder Ian Thomson said his organization has been working regularly in the Petrie Creek area since 2017 and has seen an increase in litter along the riverbank.
The garbage collection included 14 shopping carts, strollers, clothing and furniture, and their removal took four hours
Ocean Crusaders removed 820kg of rubbish from riverside camp
The cleanup came after the homeless encampment was abandoned.
“People spent time there, but with the homeless in the area and the amount of trash, it’s not that nice… it’s heartbreaking,” he said. yahoo news.
Thomson said local wildlife has also been affected by the litter.
He said since Ocean Crusaders conducted cleanups, he has noticed an increase in the local platypus population.
To help combat the homelessness crisis, Sunshine Coast Local Council launched the Sunshine Coast Homelessness and Housing Action Plan 2023 last year.
Launching the initiative, then Sunshine Coast Council Mayor Mark Jamieson wrote: “The Sunshine Coast is experiencing significant housing affordability challenges and increased levels of homelessness.”
‘The Sunshine Coast Housing and Homelessness Action Plan 2023 will help build on our existing commitments and provide support to our community. ‘
The action plan stated that the number of homeless people on the Sunshine Coast had increased by 54 per cent between 2016 and 2021.
The council says there are currently 1,205 homeless people on the Sunshine Coast.