The Far North and Whangārei have some of the highest rates of people living without shelter in the country. Photo / NZME
Whangārei’s frontline homeless support agencies say a new Government “move on” policy is pointless if there is nowhere for rough sleepers to go.
The proposal, announced on Sunday by Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Police Minister Mark Mitchell, would amend the Summary Offences Act 1981 to give police the power to move people on who are involved in conduct not currently recognised as criminal, such as begging, rough sleeping and inhabiting a public place.
These move‑on orders would require a person to move a “reasonable distance” from the area, as defined by police, for up to 24 hours and would also apply to 14 - 17 year olds.
Failure to comply with the order could result in a fine of up to $2000 or up to three months’ imprisonment.
Goldsmith said New Zealand had a culture of helping those in need but that didn’t mean city centres and tourist hotspots should become places of “intimidation, and dysfunction”.
“Our main streets and town centres have been blighted by disruption and disturbance,” he claimed. “Businesses are declining as some bad behaviour goes unchecked. It needs to stop.”
Goldsmith said police had limited powers to respond.
“It means many disruptive, distressing, and potentially harmful acts can occur before officers have any means of intervention. It doesn’t make sense.”
Housing advocate Carol Peters said the proposal was the catalyst she needed to go “all out” on the emergency night‑shelter concept she had been developing for several years.
A meeting of agency stakeholders and members of the homeless community is being held tomorrow to identify viable options.
Peters acknowledged homelessness was complex and long-term housing solutions were crucial. While a night shelter was only a stop-gap measure, it would be a necessary step if the policy was actioned, she said.
“You can’t move people on when there is literally nowhere for them to go.”
Peters said a shelter would need funding from central Government.
“If the Government was going to introduce a policy forcing people away from public spaces then it must also fund safe, appropriate places for them to go to.”
Peters said emergency shelters could not be one‑size‑fits‑all: facilities for youth and people with addictions would need specialist staff and clinical support, while families and older adults needed secure, separate sleeping spaces that protected dignity and safety.
Liz Cassidy‑Canning of Whare Āwhina — an outreach service working directly with rough sleepers — called the order “outrageous,” “inhumane,” and lacking any “compassion or empathy”.
She said the policy came from a mindset of shifting people out of sight, offering no real solutions.
She warned the order would push homeless people out of Auckland into under-resourced regions like Northland, making homelessness more visible.
Cassidy-Canning said Whare Āwhina was acutely aware of Northland’s housing needs as it dealt daily with many people sleeping rough, couch surfing or living in unsafe conditions.
Whare Āwhina would support a community-led initiative such as an overnight shelter concept.
Cassidy-Canning said night shelters were not evidence-based. She noted Wellington City Mission had shifted away from the model, favouring transitional housing and specialised wet house facilities that better served people with complex addiction needs.
What Northland urgently needed was significant investment in emergency and transitional housing with properly resourced support services, because the region had “very little to no” provision despite its high and complex needs, she said.
Jason Poutai, who had been sleeping rough for four years, echoed concerns about needing somewhere safe for people to go.
He did not fear police would target the small encampment where he and a few others stayed on the outskirts of Ōkara but was worried about enforcement in the CBD, where homeless people relied on facilities for toilets, water and showers.
He strongly supported an overnight shelter, which he believed was long overdue and for which he had been campaigning.
Poutai said any facility had to be practical and central — ideally a campus‑style site like NorthTec, or a multistorey CBD building with separate spaces for sleeping, ablutions, meals and wraparound services so people without transport could access everything in one place.
The Salvation Army acknowledged the Government’s desire to address antisocial behaviour but was “deeply concerned’’ the policy risked criminalising vulnerability by targeting people with nowhere else to go.
It raised concerns about potential human rights breaches and urged the Government to consult widely with service providers and people with lived experience.
Whangārei District Council mayor Ken Couper said commenting on the proposed policy would be premature as a mayoral taskforce to revitalise the CBD was underway.
The task force was examining options to create a vibrant, safe inner-city atmosphere for everyone, including those who had fallen on hard times, Couper said.
He said the council would be interested in engaging with and supporting central Government if it agreed to fund overnight shelter facilities.
Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, most of which she spent court reporting in Gisborne and on the East Coast.