Earlier this year, SociaLink Tūhono Pāpori joined more than 20 local organisations and over 150 community members to speak out against proposed move-on orders at a community event in Tauranga. If you missed it, you can read about it in our earlier article, Move On Where? Local Voices Respond to Proposed Move On Orders.

That advocacy has now continued with a formal submission to Parliament opposing the Summary Offences (Move-on Orders) Amendment Bill.

As the peak body for the social and community sector in the Western Bay of Plenty, we advocate for policies that strengthen communities, promote equity, and improve outcomes for people facing hardship. We believe this Bill moves in the opposite direction.

The proposed legislation would give Police the power to issue move-on orders to people who are rough sleeping or begging in public places.

While the Bill is intended to improve public order, we believe it does not address the underlying causes of homelessness and poverty. Instead, it risks making life even more difficult for people who are already experiencing some of the most challenging circumstances in our communities.

Our key concerns

In our submission, we recommend that the Bill does not proceed.

Our concerns include:

• Rough sleeping and begging are not crimes. They are often the result of housing shortages, financial hardship, trauma, family violence, or other complex life circumstances.
• Moving people on does not solve homelessness. It simply relocates people without addressing the reasons they have nowhere else to go.
• Young people aged 14 to 18 should not be subject to move-on orders. Rangatahi experiencing homelessness need protection, support and access to services, not punitive responses.
• International research shows that move-on laws can have unintended consequences, including poorer physical and mental health, loss of personal belongings, increased stress, and reduced access to support services.
• Māori and Pacific peoples are already disproportionately affected by homelessness and are more likely to experience inequitable outcomes within the justice system.

A better approach

We believe investment should focus on long-term solutions that help people achieve stable housing and wellbeing.

This includes:

• Increasing the supply of affordable and social housing
• Improving access to emergency and transitional accommodation
• Investing in wrap-around support services
• Continuing approaches such as Housing First that address the causes of homelessness rather than simply responding to its visibility.

Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and compassion, regardless of their circumstances.

👉 Read our full submission below