Homeless Families Set Up Camp Beside Redcliffe Tennis Centre as Housing Crisis Bites

A homeless encampment beside the Redcliffe Tennis and Pickleball Centre is drawing urgent calls for action from the facility’s management and state authorities, with a major tournament scheduled for April 24-27 as local officials work to find a housing solution for those at the site.

Read: No Shelter, No Safety: Homeless at Risk as Cyclone Alfred Looms and Camping Ban Begins

The camp occupies a small strip of parkland adjoining the courts on the Redcliffe Peninsula. It has reportedly grown from three tents to more than 20 in the space of a month. It is home to a mix of long-term rough sleepers and families with school-aged children, several of whom say they were displaced from the rental market and have been on the high-priority housing waitlist for up to six months.

Health and safety concerns at the centre

Redcliffe Tennis and Pickleball Centre manager Thea Novic said she had raised the matter with council and police after staff and players found maggots, syringes, evidence of public urination and rubbish fires at the facility. The parkland adjoining the centre has no toilet or rubbish facilities. Ms Novic said the situation had become a serious health and safety concern that was getting out of control.

Ms Novic said the centre was scheduled to host a Queensland Pickleball Tour tournament, with around 400 players expected to attend, and that the ongoing situation was threatening both the event and the centre’s regular operations. She said the centre was at the point of having to close some courts indefinitely, despite its goal of showcasing the Moreton Bay area through major competitions.

Families at the site

One mother living at the encampment with two young children said her husband continued to commute to work and her children continued to attend school while the family lived in a tent. She described the experience as mentally and physically exhausting, with vehicles arriving throughout the night and frequent disturbances.

A long-term resident who has been living at the site since February said the number of tents had surged in the past four weeks. He said he was terrified about what would happen to families at the site, particularly the children, if they were moved on without alternative accommodation in place.

Council and state responses

City of Moreton Bay Mayor Peter Flannery maintained that housing was the direct responsibility of state and federal authorities. He confirmed the site had been raised at senior meetings with the Queensland Department of Housing and Public Works on 31 March, with council requesting that shelter accommodation be provided for those at the location. Mayor Flannery also advised that, as of 14 April, council officers had referred all individuals at the camp to the Department of Housing and relevant support services.

Read: Woody Point Rough Sleepers Face Strict Bans on Pets and Camping

State Housing Minister Sam O’Connor said Outreach teams were on the ground working to understand the circumstances of those sleeping rough and to connect them with support services and long-term housing pathways. He acknowledged that vulnerable Queenslanders, including families, were among those living at the site.

Published 23-April-2026