Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. Photo: MARIKA KHABAZI / RNZ
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says move on orders for homeless in Auckland is "definitely a consideration".
Central government and Auckland Council are considering how they can move homeless people out of the CBD ahead of summer.
Details are scarce but ministers have expressed support for a member's bill that would give police the power to remove people from public spaces for being a nuisance. The bill would have to be drawn from the biscuit tin, though it's entirely possible the government picks it up as its own bill to progress it into law.
Luxon told Morning Report the number of homeless in the city had to be sorted out as Aucklanders don't feel safe going into the central city.
"We have got to sort it out," he said. "... We've got a whole bunch of things coming up. We have a new convention centre, increasing cruise ships and the launch of the CRL (City Rail Link), and we have to make sure that the downtown city is working well and is a safe place for people."
He said Move On orders were one consideration - "Yes we are up for those" - but there had to be supports in place for the homeless.
"We can't just move people around to different parts of the city."
He said homelessness was a complex problem, each case had unique factors and governments had to offer a range of solutions.
Asked if a move on order would equate to a ban on homeless in the CBD, Luxon said it was more about getting people to the right places with the support in place.
"But we do need to clean up Auckland's downtown CBD."
He said the area had been heavily impacted with the arrival from Australia of deported "501" criminals and the growth of emergency housing in the CBD.
"So we now have a situation where people feel unsafe and intimidated but we also need to do right by the homeless folk."
Last week, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said he had been tasked with ensuring police had the tools they needed to tackle public disorder.
It's blindingly obvious to everybody that the CBD, particularly of Auckland, but a lot of places, have been characterised by disorder and real concern around public safety," Goldsmith said. "We're open to some new suggestions in that area."
Asked specifically whether he would consider a ban on rough sleeping, Goldsmith said: "We're working our way through those issues... when we've got something to announce, we'll announce that."
Auckland Business Chamber Chief Executive Simon Bridges told Nine to Noon he supports some form of ban.
"These people will often have mental health, addiction issues, a variety of other problems. We do need to deal with them compassionately, there does need to be somewhere for them to go," Bridges said.
"But that doesn't negate this point, that in the end, the city centre of Auckland is special. It is the shop front, it is the business front, it is the tourism front, it is the social front not just of Auckland, but New Zealand."
He said when there are "very significant" homelessness and anti-social issues in the CBD and ti feels more like a "developing country", something needs to give.
Bridges said he believes the majority of business owners and workers in the city think rough sleepers should be moved to other parts of Auckland where there are programmes and treatments for them.
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