Hot showers for rough sleepers in Brunswick Heads

Hot showers are something that many people take for granted, but for those sleeping rough they can be difficult to access.

In an effort to ease this problem, Reflections Holiday Parks and Byron Shire Council have partnered to jointly fund the installation of hot water at the amenity block at Banner Park Reserve, Brunswick Heads.

The aim of the initiative is to provide hot water to help people who are sleeping rough. Hot water is now available daily in the public amenity block at Banner Park Reserve between 6am and 11am. To support water conservation, showers will run on a timer.

Banner Park Reserve is maintained by Reflections for the local community and is part of the 15 acres of public reserves that Reflections looks after in the Byron Shire. Reflections uses proceeds from its holiday parks to provide nature reserves, BBQs and amenities for the local community.

Business for good

Reflections CEO Nick Baker said the role of Reflections, the only holiday park group in Australia that is a certified social enterprise, was not only to nurture land on behalf of the NSW public but also to do ‘business for good’ as a profit-for-purpose organisation.

‘As a Crown Land Manager and a social enterprise, Reflections reinvests profit from holiday parks into public nature reserves for the enjoyment of the local community, and we also partner with community organisations on initiatives that benefit the community,’ Mr Baker said.

‘We are really pleased to partner with Byron Shire Council to help the local community and look forward to continuing to work together.’

World of difference

Cr Michael Lyon, Mayor of Byron Shire Council, said he was grateful to Reflections for working with Byron Council to provide the service for the people in the community who were sleeping rough, noting that a simple thing like a hot shower can make the world of difference to someone.

‘Byron Shire has the highest number of people sleeping rough in NSW, ahead of the City of Sydney, and they are some of the most vulnerable members of our community,’ said Mayor Lyon.

‘While appropriate housing and support services are what’s needed to for people to exit homelessness, we also need to make sure that they have access to basic amenities, like hot showers, that support dignity and well-being.’