The council has established procedures that must be followed in the event of an unauthorised encampment. It is important to note that the process is only applicable to unauthorised encampments on council owned land. The process has been based on best practice and the requirement to follow due legal process taking into consideration the requirements of any group setting up an unauthorised encampment and the impact on the local community.
When the council is made aware of an unauthorised encampment on council owned land the following process must be followed:
- Stage 1: Welfare Site Assessment
- Stage 2: Direction to Leave
- Stage 3: Summons to Court
- Stage 4: Order to Evict
- Stage 5: Eviction
The process is applicable to unauthorised encampments on the specific site the group occupy, if the group moves off the site and sets up a further unauthorised encampment on another site that is council owned land, at any stage of the process, the council is required to start again with a Welfare Assessment and the subsequent stages of the process.
