The Anzac Parade site has toilet facilities and BBQ for cooking, with Civil Defence working to have a portable shower at the site. Photo / Lewis Gardner
The Anzac Parade site has toilet facilities and BBQ for cooking, with Civil Defence working to have a portable shower at the site. Photo / Lewis Gardner
A freedom camping site in Whanganui will be used to house the homeless during the level 4 lockdown.
The Anzac Parade freedom camping site in Whanganui East will house the most vulnerable until the lockdown is lifted.
Whanganui District Council chief executive Kym Fell said the site would remain open due to its toilet facilities, which were used by homeless people living on site prior to the lockdown.
When the council initially announced that the site would be closed during lockdown, Koha Shed manager Sherron Sunnex approached the council, asking if the site could be used by the homeless as they had nowhere else to go.
"We spoke to Civil Defence and local iwi and they helped us make it happen," she said.
"They have to provide the necessities for people over this time."
Sunnex said keeping everyone together made the most sense to ensure they were safe and had access to help and facilities if they needed to.
"We are ushering them all down there, and police are doing the same. If they are on the streets with nothing, then we have access to some tents for them.
"You have to look at the circumstances of everyone."
Koha Shed manager Sherron Sunnex is directing all those that need somewhere to stay to the Anzac Parade camping site.
At the moment there are no shower facilities at Anzac Parade but Whanganui Civil Defence Emergency Management are working on this.
"We are working on several options to provide shower facilities," said Sunnex. "We need to make sure communal showering facilities comply with the Government's level 4 guidelines.
She said they were looking into ways to have the facility locked from 7pm to 7am at night, as many were coming and going late at night.
"It's very disturbing if you are parked somewhere and there are cars coming and going at all times of nights. At that time, it only needs to be the people living there who should be there."
Tupoho Investments Ltd chairman Ken Mair is acting as advocate for those most vulnerable.
"My role is more around advocacy, to ensure our homeless were looked after by those who know best. As a community, we should show love and kindness to each other, and that should extent to our most vulnerable, our homeless and those most in need."
Tupoho Investments Ltd chairman Ken Mair. Photo / File
He said the council, police and Civil Defence had been helpful and thought having a bubble at Anzac Parade was most appropriate.
"We can surround them with support mechanisms. It's extremely challenging, those on the ground all play their part to ensure they are looked after as best we can."
Sunnex said people were struggling at the moment and Koha Shed had been working 24/7 organising food and necessities.
