A 69-year-old man living on Byron’s streets was brutally bashed last Wednesday night, according to Veronica Rowe from the Northern Rivers Homeless Alliance.
Rowe said Bushy, who is well-known in the town, remains in hospital after an operation at Tweed Hospital.
‘We need to reduce the homelessness problem in Byron,’ she told The Echo, adding that the bashing serves as a warning of the plight of those who are homeless.
Rowe says that the Northern Rivers Homeless Alliance is not funded by any government department but receives small private donations to operate.
Formerly, Rowe says she worked with the homeless in the Blue Mountains before moving to Byron.
‘In the one-and-a-half years I’ve been here, I have heard of a horrific stabbing, drug overdoses and a homeless woman being raped.
‘There are a lot of drugs and serious violence which, if not addressed, will become a bigger issue for the community’.
Rowe says she is on the streets with the homeless daily, and provides a homeless barbecue every Sunday on Main Beach from 12.30pm.
Rowe said a few local businesses regularly donated food, ‘but there can always be more’.
‘Tents are also needed,’ she says, as well as a safe place for them to camp. She added the drug ice is an issue and believes it is coming into the town from Brisbane.
• To assist Rowe, call 0490 062 367.
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