THE death of Brendan Ryan on 8 January, following another rough sleeper’s death in November, brings the number of homeless deaths on the peninsula to five over the last year.
Community leaders have expressed exasperation at the lack of state government response to the spiralling situation and are renewing their calls for urgent action.
Melbourne Zero, which actively tracks homelessness, listed 114 actively homeless people on the Mornington Peninsula as of December. The data lists 88 of those as “sleeping rough”.
In the lead up to the busy summer period, Mornington Peninsula Shire mayor Cr Anthony Marsh wrote to the state government asking for them to step in to assist with the rough sleepers at foreshore camping grounds.
The letter dated 18 December from Marsh to the Minister for Housing, Harriet Shing MP, seen by The Times, stated “Over the summer period, our region will see a substantial increases in visitors, particularly along foreshore areas where paid camping sites operate. People experiencing homelessness have already established camps within these foreshore camping grounds”.
“As peak season commences, Council is required to ensure that families and individuals who have paid for these sites are able to safely access them.
“This situation presents a significant and immediate challenge. When asked to move on, people experiencing homelessness are left with no local alternative options.”
The letter then pointed out the delivery and coordination of homelessness services is a state government responsibility and sought “clear direction on where individuals who are sleeping rough and being moved on from paid camping sites”.
It is believed that shire staff have been moving homeless around the foreshore area to free up campsites that have been paid for by campers. The Times also believes one shire employee was badly injured before Christmas when she was attacked by a homeless lady’s dog when approaching her about moving from her site. The shire confirmed the incident but declined to provide further details.
A shire employee told The Times that because of the attack, the shire has employed “community safety officers”, at the expense of ratepayers.
In response to enquiries, the shire issued a statement stating “The shire is strongly advocating to the state government to address the growing issue of homelessness on the Peninsula.
“Despite the shire going above and beyond our duty, the delivery and coordination of homelessness services is a state government responsibility which needs to provide urgent investment in crisis accommodation, outreach services and long-term social housing”.
A Victoria Police spokesperson said “our first priority is always talking to the person to understand the root causes of the issue.
“We know we can best help by putting people in touch with essential services that address their individual needs”.
First published in the Frankston Times – 20 January 2026
