Locals to protest beggar ban bylaw

Kevin England, one of the organisers of today’s protest. Photos and video: Rosalie Liddle Crawford

A protest against a recent motion to ban begging and rough sleeping in the city CBD is being led by a group of locals outside the Tauranga City Council this afternoon.

The protest is in response to the motion by Councillors Terry Molloy and Bill Grainger about their solution to the current rough sleeping and begging that is occurring in Tauranga Moana.

At a Milo Night event on Willow Street last night, SunLive caught up with Kevin England, one of the organisers of today's protest.

He says the idea emerged after reading an article about the council's motion on SunLive.

'I saw an article on the SunLive Bay of Plenty Facebook page,” he says. 'It was the motion led by two Tauranga City Councillors to ban begging and rough sleeping in the city.

'I personally think there's no point in doing something like that without trying to find a solution to the problem first.”

Kevin is currently doing a degree at the Waikato University Tauranga campus and says he was himself homeless years ago.

'As the councillors themselves have pointed out in their motion, it's a social problem and therefore how do we find a solution to the social problem.

'It's not a Tauranga-wide problem, it's a nationwide problem, and I don't think the councillors are doing the right thing by the community, neither the homeless community nor the people who support them.”

Last night's event saw locals from around the city come together to help support rough sleepers.

Jacob Sheridan age 13, James Sheridan and Jonny Sheridan age 14. They live in Pyes Pa and come bring meals to the homeless in Tauranga city.

The Milo Night is run every Monday and Friday, where milo and food donated by generous people across the city, is provided to ‘streeties'.

The meal night is held outside the Tauranga Art Gallery and is usually attended by around 50 people between 6.30-8pm.

Stu with Vicki Mossop. Stu is homeless and Vicki is one of the many locals who bring meals.

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14 comments

All this

Posted on 21-11-2017 14:05 | By Merlin

All this will do is move the problem somewhere else.Short sightedness by the council.


As with...

Posted on 21-11-2017 14:26 | By Me again

a child, you get down to their level, talk and listen. Most people have an opinion. TDC councilors need to do that. Get out there ask these people how can we all fix this. At the moment they are just passing the 'buck'.


Do gooders

Posted on 21-11-2017 14:35 | By maildrop

First off, you'll never find a solution to homelessness. Not unless the Communists take over. It's just a ban on begging and sleeping rough in the city. If you want to protest, give them the address of Clrs Molloy and Grainger and tell them to go sleep outside their houses! That ban will be overturned in a heartbeat.


Maddog

Posted on 21-11-2017 15:22 | By Christine1965

Some choose to be homeless they want money for smokes if they went door knocking they would find work need to get the homless off the streets


winz

Posted on 21-11-2017 16:09 | By Captain Sensible

Has anyone asked the homeless what they actually do with the welfare money they get from WINZ? Where is this money? What exactly is it spent on?


.

Posted on 21-11-2017 16:40 | By Bop man

As Maildrop said it is only a ban on begging and sleeping rough in the CBD two things that should be banned. But no begging is much easer than working for a living.


Maddog

Posted on 21-11-2017 18:33 | By Christine1965

What the money is spent on is smokes and booze


i know which grouping I'd rather support, have empathy for.

Posted on 21-11-2017 20:34 | By Murray.Guy

We've folk from previous 'walks of life', representing many ethnic groups, who we find sleeping rough, living rough. The contributing factors to their life style is diverse, BUT the most common thread is likely THE TOTAL ABSENCE of being valued, appreciated, accepted. For personal reasons, relationship and mental health circumstances. The FIRST RESPONSE from our elected members, sadly, championed by those who purport to be Christian (Christ like) is to 'put the boot in'. They don't like how they look, our children have to see them, we are intimidated by themmmmmm ..." say our champions of decency. Bottom line, "What's the problem, aside from OUR failure as a society to appropriately respond to those who need our non-judgmental support in tangible ways?" Of note is the photo which says, 'Heart of the City'. What heart Molloy, Baldock, Grainger and Co, Mayor Brownless, certainly NOT yours! Prioritize!


Quick to judge

Posted on 21-11-2017 21:02 | By mike j

It would be great to see some of you moaners spend a night or two on the streets sleeping on some cardboard boxes and see if your views change on people living rough. Have any of you actually sat down and had a chat with some of these people and found out what circumstances have lead to them living like this or are you just quick to judge while sitting at home being a keyboard warrior sipping on your earl gray ???Some of us dont mind giving a few buck to help someone in need its called being human!!


@ Bop man

Posted on 21-11-2017 23:14 | By MISS ADVENTURE

I agree, pack them off into the bush somewhere and do a days work, then choose to sleep on the street if you wish. In most cases the choices being made by the individuals now or previous are the issue. No one can change that as ofen is addiction related. They have to want to change and will and have decided to ruff-it instead of a better quality of olife. free loading meals is like feeding the Seagulls, today a few, tomorrow 20, by the end of the week a 100 ... All it does is aid the participants to "feel good" but otherwise makes the problem bigger and worse. So creating a self need to do more of the same in a ever increasing scale of a malstrum spiriallg ever inwards.


@ Mike

Posted on 22-11-2017 08:28 | By Captain Sensible

I do help them....I pay taxes. But the secret to the answer to this question is this; where do they spend the free welfare they get from us via WINZ? Why should I be expected to pay twice?


@ MISS ADVENTURE

Posted on 22-11-2017 10:05 | By Captain Sensible

I agree with what you say. Studies have shown that "homeless' people often refuse shelter because they are unable to abide by the 'No Alcohol & No Drugs' rules governing these shelters.


Studies? missy, name them.

Posted on 23-11-2017 13:55 | By R. Bell

You cannot force an addict or alcoholic to renounce their habit it is impossible. The only proven way is constant support and sympathy. Something you are very, very short on. Robin Bell.


So disappointing

Posted on 29-11-2017 11:22 | By Lvdw

The more I read (almost daily) about what our esteemed TDC councilors are planning/putting forward, the more disappointed and disheartened I become. The really do seem to be out of touch with reality and on a real crusade here (IMHO). And to think I actually voted them into office, shame on me.As for the beggars, yes, get them off the street, as I've seen some arrive real early in the morning - by car! sit out begging on the main street for the day and later leave - by car. This is surely the exception yes, but seriously guys. Lets spend our time, effort and hard paid tax money on helping the Tauranga homeless to better their situations not just shove them off to another area and say 'she'll be right mate'. Shame on you.


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