Housing and Homelessness

Homeless camp removed from Sydney CBD

AAP June 27, 2017

< 1 min read

Wrapped in a sleeping bag and surrounded by piles of possessions, Troy Drysdale talks about finding “family” at a Sydney CBD homeless camp.

He’s asked where he will go now that the community has been moved for a development.

“Who knows,” the 18-year-old told AAP.

“See what happens.”

Police and City of Sydney workers moved into the camp on Saturday morning, leaving beds, cots and clothes on the Macquarie Street end of the thoroughfare.

A note, written in chalk in the near-empty camp said: “They tried to bury us. They didn’t know we were seeds.”

Men and women wearing high visibility clothing swept rubbish into bags.

“I just woke up (and) I was just getting kicked out of my tent,” Drysdale, who said he has previously had a bad experience with government housing, told AAP.

“We’re all family. I mean, we were all just trying to survive.”

The City of Sydney says LendLease Building was approved to construct hoardings on Investa’s 60 Martin Place development in May.

Family and Community Services says it has been working with Martin Place residents, finding temporary accommodation for 115 people and permanent housing for 24 more.

Marquees, where FACS staff tried to help rough sleepers find accommodation, were set up for the disbandment.

Organsier and resident Lanz Priestley says he intends for the camp, which includes a kitchen, to stay in Martin Place.

He said there was still a “community to serve” and homelessness should have been solved long ago in one of the world’s richest countries.

“The people that are here are really no different to people anywhere,” said Priestley, who set up the camp in December.

“You could be one of those people next. Touch wood you’re not.”