Economic Development Queensland (EDQ), the state body that oversees Priority Development Areas, told Moreton Bay Council to shut down a free tent camp for people experiencing homelessness at Wyllie Park in Petrie. The council approved a 12-month trial in August, but EDQ chief Julian Simmonds threatened a show-cause notice over why the park should not be shut down.
Mayor Peter Flannery said the council had little choice but to comply, given the risk of expensive legal defeat. “The fact is that we could spend millions of dollars of ratepayer funds fighting this Show Cause in court only to lose anyway,” he said.
Flannery said the council allowed the camp in good faith as a short-term solution to what he described as a state issue of chronic homelessness. “We backed Wyllie Park in good faith and believe it was successful in providing a safer solution for people experiencing homelessness who have no access to emergency or supportive shelter in City of Moreton Bay currently.”
The camp was set up after a Supreme Court judge ruled earlier this year that Moreton Bay Council had violated the human rights of homeless people forcibly evicted from another encampment. In that eviction at Eddie Hyland Park in April 2025, rangers and police used excavators to destroy shelters and remove belongings while residents watched.
Wyllie Park, near Petrie station, is part of a Priority Development Area (PDA), with the Moreton Bay Indoor Sports Centre for Brisbane 2032 to be built nearby. Construction is expected to begin in 2027. A Moreton Bay Council spokeswoman said EDQ chief Julian Simmonds had threatened at a meeting on Thursday to issue a show-cause notice over why the park should not be shut down. Simmonds said he would take no further action if the council did not register any new campers and took compliance measures against anyone sleeping where they should not in the park going forward.
Deputy Mayor Jodie Shipway said the council was working with the state to secure more formal shelters for people experiencing homelessness, which the council has previously said were desperately needed.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The shutdown removes a designated safe camping option for rough sleepers in the Moreton Bay region, potentially forcing them back into informal, less secure sites.
- The conflict illustrates the tension between local council efforts to address homelessness and state development priorities tied to Olympic infrastructure.
- The earlier Supreme Court human-rights ruling adds legal complexity to future council responses to encampments.
Background
Wyllie Park was already being used by people without a home before the council voted in August 2026 to approve a 12-month trial. The move came after a Supreme Court ruling that found the council had violated the human rights of homeless people during evictions from Eddie Hyland Park in April 2025, where excavators destroyed shelters. The park is located within a Priority Development Area (PDA) managed by Economic Development Queensland, which is preparing the site for the Moreton Bay Indoor Sports Centre for the 2032 Olympic Games.
What to Watch
- Whether the council and the state government reach an agreement on alternative formal shelter sites.
- Potential legal action from homeless advocates or further court challenges to the council’s compliance.
- The timeline for development of the sports centre and its impact on other informal settlements in the area.
Checked
11 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 10 supported.
Show each claim
- Partly supportedThe state development body has shut down the council-approved camp.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “A park north of Brisbane set up for people experiencing homelessness will be shut down, after the Queensland government’s development body told the council to nix the operation.”
- SupportedEDQ threatened a show-cause notice over why the park should not be shut down.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “A Moreton Bay Council spokeswoman said EDQ chief Julian Simmonds had threatened to issue a show-cause notice over why the park shouldn’t be shut down at a meeting on Thursday.”
- SupportedThe council approved a 12-month trial of the free tent camp in August.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “The City of Moreton Bay voted in August to approve a 12-month trial for Wyllie Park, in Petrie, to be used as a free tent camp .”
- SupportedMayor Peter Flannery said the council had little choice because it risked spending millions on a court fight and losing.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “Mayor Peter Flannery said the council had little choice. “The fact is that we could spend millions of dollars of ratepayer funds fighting this Show Cause in court only to lose anyway,” he said.”
- SupportedFlannery said the council backed Wyllie Park in good faith and believed it provided a safer solution for people without access to emergency or supportive shelter.Brisbane Times - Latest News: ““We backed Wyllie Park in good faith and believe it was successful in providing a safer solution for people experiencing homelessness who have no access to emergency or supportive shelter in City of Moreton Bay currently.””
- SupportedFlannery described chronic homelessness as a state issue and the camp as a short-term solution.Brisbane Times - Latest News: ““Council allowed free camping for people experiencing homelessness at Wyllie Park in an attempt to provide a short-term solution to what is a state issue of chronic homelessness in City of Moreton Bay.””
- SupportedThe Wyllie Park camp was set up after a Supreme Court judge ruled that the council had violated homeless people’s human rights in an earlier eviction.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “The park camp had been set up after a Supreme Court judge ruled earlier this year Moreton Bay council had violated the human rights of homeless people forcefully evicted from encampments last year.”
- SupportedDuring the April 2025 eviction at Eddie Hyland Park, rangers and Queensland police used excavators to destroy shelters and remove belongings while residents watched.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “Rangers and Queensland police officers carrying out the eviction in Eddie Hyland Park in April 2025 used excavators to destroy shelters and remove belongings as residents watched on.”
- SupportedWyllie Park is near Petrie station and is part of a Priority Development Area; the Moreton Bay Indoor Sports Centre for Brisbane 2032 will be built nearby, with construction expected to begin in 2027.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “The park, near Petrie station, was already being used by rough sleepers without approval ... The park is part of a government Priority Development Area ... The Moreton Bay Indoor Sports Centre for Brisbane 2032 will be built nearby as part of that PDA, with construction expected to begin in 2027.”
- SupportedSimmonds said he would take no further action if the council registered no new campers and took compliance measures against people sleeping where they should not in the park.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “Simmonds said he would not take further action if the council did not register any new campers and take compliance measures against anyone sleeping where they shouldn’t in the park going forward.”
- SupportedDeputy Mayor Jodie Shipway said the council was working with the state to secure more formal shelters, which the council had said were desperately needed.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “Moreton Bay deputy mayor Jodie Shipway said the council was working with the state to secure more formal shelters for people experiencing homelessness, which the council has previously said were desperately needed.”