New hope for region’s homeless

A SEVEN-night regional winter shelter network spanning Wonthaggi, Cowes and potentially Leongatha has been envisaged to provide continuous accommodation for those sleeping rough in the year’s colder months.

The vision would involve different venues opening on designated nights throughout winter, with guests able to be transported between towns via a minibus.

Bass Coast Winter Shelter project coordinator Linda Livett outlined the idea at a community information session in Wonthaggi on Thursday, August 6.

“Imagine if we had, say, four nights in Wonthaggi and three nights in Cowes, and could bus people between them,” she said.

“Wouldn’t that be amazing if we could then suddenly be offering seven nights a week throughout winter, so three months of safe accommodation for rough sleepers?”

The concept remains in its early stages, with a Wonthaggi shelter still yet to be established, and no transport arrangements or timetable secured.

The existing Cowes shelter currently opens three nights a week, offering guests meals and a safe place to sleep, while also receiving support from trained volunteers.

However, Ms Livett said its location and limited operating schedule presented some barriers for some people experiencing homelessness in other local towns.

For those sleeping in tents or other makeshift accommodation, leaving their established location for just a few nights could mean losing their belongings or the place where they had been staying.

Organisers also revealed that people seeking assistance sometimes contact the shelter on days it’s closed, and by the time accommodation becomes available, they have often made other arrangements or can no longer be reached.

Ms Livett said expanding into Wonthaggi could allow the service to cover more of the week and reach people who are unable to travel to the Cowes shelter.

Under a broader, more interconnected regional model, venues in different towns could each provide accommodation for several nights, rather than one location carrying all of the responsibility.

Leongatha community members have also begun exploring the possibility of establishing a winter shelter, creating the potential for South Gippsland to eventually join the network.

Public transport would likely not be suitable for moving guests between venues, meaning a dedicated minibus or access to an existing community vehicle would be required.

Organisers acknowledged that funding hadn’t been secured for transport, but said grants could be pursued and negotiations held with community organisers who operated buses.

The Yarra Valley Winter Shelter uses a rotating model similar to the one envisaged here, involving several venues, some located about 30 minutes apart.

Ms Livitt said the ultimate long-term ambition was to establish Wonthaggi as a central part of a network capable of supporting people from across Bass Coast and neighbouring areas.

For now, however, the immediate priority remains finding suitable Wonthaggi venues and local volunteers to help make a shelter possible in 2027.