Launceston Council has gone on the defensive after it was criticised on social media for delaying the rollout of sleep pods and mobile shower facilities for the city’s homeless.
Charity group Strike It Out says it was given just 24 hours to move on from council land at Invermay despite asking for permits to allow it to operate.
The council yesterday issued a media release saying Strike It Out has repeatedly failed to provide updated documentation around safety issues.
The council says it had also received multiple complaints from the community about drug use and anti-social behaviour from residents around the Northern Inveresk Car Park area where the pods have been situated illegally.
Strike It Out posted criticism of the council’s action on Facebook but the post has since been taken down.
The charity’s Kirsten Ritchie says it has repeatedly submitted proposals to the council but feels it has now “washed its hands” of the issue, preferring to defer to the state government.
