THE NSW Government’s annual street count shows the number of people sleeping rough across the Port Macquarie-Hastings local government area (LGA) has increased over the past 12 months.
Sixty-nine people were sleeping rough in February, up from 53 in 2024 and 43 in February 2023.
Member for Port Macquarie Robert Dwyer said the increase was one of the largest on the Mid North Coast.
“I am meeting with the Minister for Housing Rose Jackson to discuss the need for additional social housing, including the fast tracking of the proposed development on the corner of Gordon and Grant streets in Port Macquarie,” he said.
By comparison, numbers fell in the MidCoast LGA (from 49-27) and the traditionally high Coffs Harbour LGA (from 147 to 99), but tripled in the Nambucca Valley from 20 to 60.
Statewide, there were a record 2192 rough sleepers, an increase of 560 people since 2023.
Shadow Minister for Homelessness Natasha Maclaren-Jones, said the numbers show the Minns Labor Government is failing society’s most vulnerable.
“The… housing and homelessness crisis just keeps getting worse,” she said.
“As winter approaches and the number of people sleeping rough increases, the Minister for Homelessness must act now and provide additional funding to support our already stretched… services across the region.”
Mrs Maclaren-Jones is also calling on the Minister to broaden the scope of reporting to encompass all types of homelessness, including couch surfing and other forms of non-secure housing, which are not captured in the street count.
“To effectively address homelessness, we must have accurate and timely data that shows the true extent of homelessness,” Mrs Maclaren-Jones said.
Currently, the street count includes people living in vehicles other than motorhomes, open spaces, makeshift dwellings or public roofed spaces.
More information about the count and how it is conducted can be found at nsw.gov.au/departments-and-agencies/homes-nsw/social-housing-resources/street-count.
By Sue STEPHENSON
