The 'disgusting' ten-second video that's tipped a working class town over the edge after 'junkies' set up a skid-row style camp in the main street
- WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT
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Locals in a regional town have been outraged by a video which exposes the extent of the growing homelessness problem.
Cessnock City Council in the NSW Hunter Region has been under mounting pressure to remove a makeshift camp in the town's main street, in full view of shops and commuters.
Fed-up residents claim HJ Sternbeck Park in Vincent Street - which is supposed to be picnic and rest area for families and local workers - has transformed into a haven for 'junkies' with open-air drug use, sex acts and aggressive behaviour on full display.
Now, a graphic clip recently posted online has become been the final straw for many, with hundreds flooding the comments section to complain and the mayor even forced to respond.
The video depicted a man as he projectile vomited in broad daylight within the homeless encampment while pedestrians went about their day.
'Can lounge around in ya camp in the main street all day, doing drugs, drinking alcohol, spewing, pissing and s***ting in public,' the video was captioned. 'What a town we live in.'
Business owners claimed they had lost customers as a result of the encampment, with families staying away from potential safety risks.
'They've kicked in our windows, they've yelled, they've sworn,' a business owner told NBN News. 'We've had families that refuse to come here now.'
Occupants have been ordered to vacate a homeless encampment at HJ Sternbeck Park in Cessnock (above) by Monday, following safety and drug complaints
The council has announced occupants have been ordered to clear off by 12pm on Monday.
But this was only after many weeks of pressure and finger-pointing between the council, police and Telstra, which owns the land.
'From Tuesday 28 October, Council will start maintenance works (approved by Telstra) and the entire site will be fenced off indefinitely for safety reasons,' federal MP for the Hunter Dan Repacholi said on Friday.
'There'll be no public access while this work is carried out.
'If the site is still occupied on Tuesday morning, Hunter Valley Police District will assist Council to remove the remaining campers so repairs can proceed safely.'
He added fencing will remain at the site for three months and said he initially offered social, health and housing assistance to the occupants but they refused the offer.
Residents argue the plan to clear the area is too little, too late and will only delay or relocate the problem.
'Real help would be finding them a place where they can camp safely, without the constant threat of a move-on order,' one woman wrote.
Hunter MP Dan Repacholi (above) announced occupants will be forced to vacate the site by Monday to allow works to be carried out at the site
'Where will they go? I guess that doesn't matter as long as they are someone else's problem,' another said.
It followed a series of posts by Cessnock Mayor Daniel Watton, who insisted the council had long been asking police and Telstra to intervene.
'It's completely unreasonable and unfair to shift all the blame onto council or its staff,' he wrote on Friday.
'They've worked tirelessly, over a long period of time, doing absolutely everything they can within the limits of what council is legally able to do.'
Police had told him they had no authority to issue 'move on' orders without evidence of unsafe behaviour at the park.
Meanwhile, the land owner was difficult to get a hold of, he claimed.
'Council has repeatedly contacted Telstra, both in writing and by phone, since the beginning of this issue,' Mr Watton wrote.
'Telstra only responded this week, confirming they had previously made complaints to police in August and September but did not receive a reply.'
The offending video was filmed by a pedestrian at the makeshift camp off the main street
Locals claim the incident is only the latest to showcase the extent of the area's homelessness challenge, spurred on by affordability issues and inadequate services.
Earlier this month, Daily Mail reported on the widely commended efforts of 'hero' local father Joel Carroll who spent a day clearing piles of trash, including drug refuse, from a local stormwater drain.
He documented his efforts in a series of posts to social media which drew praise from residents and local representatives.
'The level of rubbish was simply ignored for too long and I couldn't turn a blind eye,' he told Daily Mail.
'I don't want this to promote negativity towards the homeless, but people should remember to donate through the right channels because a lot of the mess looked like it was donated items that were rifled through and then discarded.'
Cessnock has among the highest level of housing stress in regional NSW, with a vacancy rate below one per cent.
Median rents in the region have risen more than 30 per cent in the past five years and social housing is heavily oversubscribed.
