Division 10 Councillor David Law presented a second petition to the Sunshine Coast Council, requesting the establishment of a homeless sanctuary. 

The petition, signed by 204 residents, asks the council to release the Fred Murray Building or another suitable vacant building for this purpose, with full funding from the Department of Housing, Local Government Planning, and Public Works.

“We, the undersigned, support in asking the Sunshine Coast Council to release the Fred Murray Building or another suitable vacant building in order to create a homeless sanctuary where vulnerable people can feel safe and secure,” Cr Law read.

Cr Law highlighted the significant community support for the initiative. “It is local people who have actually gone to the trouble to sign a petition, not an electronic petition, to voice their support, to encourage Council to do what it can to help alleviate the struggles of our homeless community at the moment that is continuing to grow,” he said.

The issue was raised during the build-up to the March council election, earlier this year,  at a Nambour Meet the Candidates event, and all candidates voiced their support to investigate using the Fred Murray building for homeless accommodation.

The council voted to receive the petition and referred it to the CEO for further consideration. Mayor Rosanna Natoli acknowledged the community’s efforts in supporting the petition.