A single, confronting image from a Gold Coast car park has exploded online, sparking outrage and exposing the raw, brutal truth of Australia’s property market.
In a postcode where homes fetch millions, a growing number of Australians are now calling a car park home.
The viral photo, captured at Currumbin Creek, shows a scene that’s become all too common: a car park choked with vans and makeshift campers, some reportedly there for “months.”
It’s not just an illegal camping issue; it’s a stark, undeniable symptom of a housing crisis so severe it’s forcing people into their vehicles in one of the nation’s most desirable locations.
Locals in this affluent coastal enclave are fuming with one local woman claiming she now rarely gets a park.
“That’s because every car space is taken up by illegal campers,” she wrote online.
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Residents say the vans at Currumbin Creek on the Gold Coast have been there for months. Source: Karen Rowles
She argues the occupants of the vehicles depicted allegedly engaged in anti-social behaviour, which she believes poses a risk to the public and the environment.
She also criticised alleged littering and public defecation.
“This is not only a public safety issue…It is also a public health issue.”
The irony isn’t lost on anyone – a community paying premium prices for lifestyle now finds its public spaces overwhelmed by the fallout of an unaffordable property market.
Councils escalate compliance – but powers are limited
Authorities on the Gold Coast say they’re patrolling known hotspots and responding to complaints, with an “educate, then move‑on” approach for people found camping illegally or sleeping in vehicles.
Repeat offenders risk an $834 penalty.
Councils also lean on police for enforcement and the state for homelessness services, acknowledging municipal powers only go so far.
Similar scenes were recently photographed near Byron Bay. Source: Mullumbimby Residents Association
“Our compliance-led approach to homelessness allows us to work closely with the Queensland Police Service, who have enforcement powers, and the state government, who are responsible for providing local services to help people experiencing homelessness,” a council spokesperson told Yahoo News.
“The City remains committed to this collaborative approach while acknowledging our limited powers and recognising the State Government’s ultimate authority for the matter.”
The grim link to Australia’s housing meltdown
The Gold Coast snapshot is far from an isolated incident.
Across Australia, an unauthorised camping crisis is brewing, fuelled by a complex mix of factors.
While some point fingers at tourists seeking to avoid caravan park fees, a more profound issue underpins the surge: the nation’s relentless housing crisis.
Latest PropTrack data shows the average home in Australia now costs $883,000, while the national median weekly rent in Australia reached approximately $650 per week in January, an increase of 4.8 per cent in 12 months.
Sydney remains the most expensive city for renters, with a median price of $760 per week.
Melbourne was the second-cheapest capital to rent in, behind only Hobart. Compared to Melbourne, renters in Sydney are forking out an extra $9,620 per year, on average.
With property and rental prices remaining sky-high and vacancy rates at historic lows, many Australians are being pushed out of traditional homes, forced into their vehicles, or even tents, out of sheer necessity.
As one woman pointed out, “The fastest growing group of homeless is women over 50. I think it is important not to make a blanket assumption about people.”
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