The Darwin council says it has fined more rough sleepers in response to NT Government pressure. 

According to a statement from the City of Darwin, fines for people sleeping rough in public places have been increased due to "significant pressure" from several Northern Territory government MLAs. 

The council stated that it had fined “some illegal campers” in the Fannie Bay area to enforce its by-laws. 

The statement came reports that Labor members Brent Potter for Fannie Bay and Mark Monogham for Fong Lim attended a recent council meeting and asked if the council was enforcing the by-laws, including moving on and fining illegal campers.

The council acknowledged that it had been in “regular contact” with Mr Potter regarding his concerns about illegal camping in his constituency but added that it had also been under pressure from other unnamed MLAs. 

The council confirmed that it issued fines only as a “last resort”, and that it did not view the fining of vulnerable people as the solution to homelessness.

The council also noted that the number of people sleeping rough in Darwin had increased, citing recent alcohol bans in the Alice Springs area as one of the contributing factors. 

The statement expressed support for any initiatives the NT Government could implement to provide more short-stay accommodation and support services to people experiencing homelessness.

Asked about the situation, NT Chief Minister Natasha Fyles did not directly address the issue of fining rough sleepers but stated that the NT government was investing $31.3 million in housing and homelessness services during the 2022-23 financial year. 

“Services include short and medium-term accommodation, visiting accommodation such as Batten Road, sustaining tenancies programs, and private rental programs that provide medium to long-term housing options for people experiencing homelessness,” she said in a statement.