'Moved around like cattle': Rotorua CBD rough sleepers trespassed

Homeless people have been moved on and trespassed from a makeshift camp in Rotorua’s CBD in a scene a charity worker described as "heartbreaking".

The Rotorua Lakes Council said its operation, with support from police, was respectful, safe and necessary given concerns about antisocial behaviour by rough sleepers on Amohia St.

People have been staying outside the Salvation Army building in recent weeks, near sources of free food, showers and laundry facilities.

Businesses complained about people urinating in public and other bad behaviour deterring customers.

This morning, the camp was disestablished.

Rough sleeper Adrianne Renata said authorities "came in and moved everybody" about 7am.

She said they gathered loose belongings into bins and took away trolleys being used to carry them.

Renata said she walked away to avoid being trespassed.

The group had been warned at dinner the night before that police would be coming at 7am, she said.

A woman with her said she wondered where they would sleep that night, and Renata said her head was spinning.

"I feel like we’re being moved around like cattle … like, 'oh, you need to go and graze in another garden'."

A council spokesperson said the operation was responding to “increasing concern” about people sleeping rough in the CBD, including reports of anti-social behaviour and intimidation.

Homelessness in the city was a complex issue, and the council worked with agencies to encourage people to accept support and “explore opportunities for stable accommodation”.

“However, there comes a point where anti-social behaviour and intimidation – and their impact on the public’s sense of safety in the CBD – must be addressed.”

Operating under several council bylaws, trespass notices were issued. Belongings left behind were not seized, but collected by staff and stored for the owners to retrieve.

More locations will be visited this week, and the council encouraged the Government and social services to provide meaningful support and solutions for those experiencing homelessness.

Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell met last week with concerned CBD business owners, who urged the council to take action.

Tapsell said the footpath was not an appropriate place to sleep, and the council had heard about illegal, offensive and anti-social behaviour by rough sleepers.

“This has created unacceptable safety concerns for others and impacted businesses. We’ve taken action to resolve this issue.”

Salvation Army Rotorua community ministries manager Darnielle Hoods said it was not warned of the operation.

“It is heartbreaking to see that this had to happen at such an early time of the morning, where some [homeless whānau] were having breakfast and some were still asleep.”

Hoods was not sure how many were moved on, but by 8am "everyone and everything" was gone.

Staff saw people trespassed, and two were handcuffed and taken away.

She emphasised that whānau could still access the charity’s support, and it would continue working with rough sleepers.

“Homelessness is not a moral failing; it is a complex social challenge that requires compassionate systemic solutions that uphold people’s dignity.”

Hoods believed the incident reinforced the need for council, police and agency collaboration, and a compassionate approach for “our most vulnerable community members”.

“We believe there are more innovative ways to address rough sleeping that centre on the needs and voices of those experiencing homelessness, and that includes advocating for approaches that preserve human dignity.”

Rotorua’s area commander, Inspector Herby Ngawhika, said the police role was to ensure council staff could conduct their work without incident and those trespassed remained safe.

“By and large, people moved away quickly and without incident.”

Two were arrested for disorderly behaviour.

The operation followed one to remove people from a geothermal park.

Council active and engaged communities manager Rob Pitkethley told a meeting this month that the accumulation of people sleeping rough in Kuirau Park reached a point of “significant public concern”.

Police issued nine trespass notices there, and one person was later arrested for trespassing.

In a report to a meeting today, community safety director Mihikore Owens said “increasingly visible” homelessness in the CBD was driven by emergency housing facility closures and "prevailing economic pressures".

Tents erected in Kuirau Park resulted in litter and "disorderly behaviour".

Safe city guardians provided referrals to support services and encouraged behavioural change, but "behaviours did not improve".

The meeting heard that at times there were about 40 rough sleepers, with 12 to 15 not engaging with support offered.

Destination development group manager Jean-Paul Gaston said the team worked to communicate with support agencies to convey how the support and help offered to homeless people created challenges.

“We’ve seen that amplified in recent weeks around Amohia St.”

He said previous council efforts to trespass the homeless from reserves drove more to the CBD.

A further update on homelessness in the CBD was heard in a confidential phase of the meeting.

The council said this discussion was not heard in public because it contained information provided in confidence, and it was not in the public interest to share it at the time.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air. Additional reporting by Kelly Makiha of NZME.