Georgina Irwin is calling on council to review rules around caravan living as the housing shortage passes crisis levels. Picture: Kevin Farmer
A struggling woman on crutches, living in a caravan on private property, faces a fine of up to $8,600 from council – and thousands of people have had enough, now calling for change.
Five months after breaking her leg so badly she still needs crutches – with further surgery ahead – Georgie Irwin started a petition calling on her local council to show some “compassion” rather than turf people like her out onto the street.
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Georgina Irwin is fighting to be able to remain living in a caravan with no hot water. Picture: Kevin Farmer
Ms Irwin is among those living in a caravan because of Queensland’s housing crisis – but under Toowoomba Regional Council rules, she could be hit with a fine of as much as $8,600 for surviving that way.
With nowhere else to go, she started the petition titled Compassion Before Compliance: Stop Fining People for Being Homeless, which has already gathered more than 1,100 verified signatures – all demanding council immediately stop threatening people who have been stripped of all other options.
“I broke my leg in December and there are still no signs of the bone fusing properly,” Ms Irwin said in her petition to the council. “I am partly handicapped and cannot walk without the aid of crutches. There is a strong possibility I will need another surgery in around five weeks’ time.”
“Situations like mine show why councils need to approach temporary caravan living with compassion, understanding and practical solutions – not punishment.”
She is not alone in that view with some even calling for it to become permanently possible for those who wish to do so. A poll by The Chronicle last week asking ‘Should Toowoomba Regional Council make it legal for people to live in caravans?’ drew more than 2500 reactions in support.
Georgina Irwin told The Chronicle she’s ‘tired of being homeless’, and needs the council to allow her to stay in the caravan. Picture: Kevin Farmer
“I have been homeless – not by choice,” said one supporter. “Putting fines on people already doing it tough doesn’t help. It is just adding to their stress and is morally wrong.”
Another signatory said “Australia is already experiencing a housing crisis. How many more homeless people do we need to worry about before something actually changes?”
Queensland’s public housing waitlist reportedly reached a record high of almost 59,000 people by the end of last year. Homelessness has jumped 22 per cent since 2016 – the fastest rate in the country – with more than 22,000 Queenslanders currently experiencing it.
Under Subordinate Local Law No. 1.3, occupying a caravan as a temporary home on private property for more than 60 days without council approval is a breach. Ms Irwin faces fines ranging from $172.70 per penalty unit up to a maximum of $8,635 for breaching the council’s Category 1 activity rules.
An aerial photograph of Toowoomba looking towards the CBD. Source: Statik Illusions for LJ Hooker.
Toowoomba mayor Geoff McDonald has been an active participant in initiatives like Hike for Homeless last year, with petitioners calling for more local action. Picture: Kevin Farmer
Other Queensland councils have already responded with compassionate amendments. The Lockyer Valley Regional Council – located less than an hour away – amended its local laws in May last year, allowing a family member or friend to live in a caravan on private property for up to six months in any 12-month period with no prior approval required. Those changes are locked in until December 2027.
The Fraser Coast Regional Council introduced a near-identical measure three years ago. In Toowoomba, by contrast, residents can stay just 60 days without approval – and even with council approval, the maximum permitted stay is capped at only 112 days.
A petition supporter who has spent years helping people living rough said the scale of the crisis had long since overwhelmed anything the community could offer on its own.
“These days whole families – some with good jobs and rental history – are forced to live in tents because there simply are not enough houses,” she said.
“There is not one local charity I am aware of that has accommodation for these families, let alone for those in abusive households simply because there is nowhere to go. Most people, including myself, have honestly lost faith in anyone who sits in an office actually caring about anything but a dollar sign.”
“If our local council could show some compassion – do anything – it would maybe restore a little faith that someone does actually care.”
She is calling for compassion by the council for people who simply cannot get accommodation anywhere else. Picture: Kevin Farmer
Among the measures she suggested was to allow rental properties to host a liveable caravan on site for approved tenants at a modest additional cost. “The people are already here,” she said. “They would just have better shelter and safety.”
Ms Irwin said her petition was “not about avoiding rules”.
“It is about recognising the reality many local people are currently facing and responding with compassion and common sense.”
The Toowoomba Regional Council is currently developing a Local Housing Action Plan and has flagged new social and affordable housing developments for the region – though several projects were not expected to be completed until late 2026 or mid-2027 at the earliest.
Toowoomba saw one of the highest jumps in its home prices this past year, surging 18.7 per cent to a $816,000 dwelling median. Located 130km west and an hour and a half’s drive from Brisbane CBD, it is among areas on the outer rim of the Greater Brisbane region facing significant housing pressure now, with nearby Darling Downs-Maranoa jumping 21 per cent in one year to a median of $562,000.
Attempts were made to seek clarification from Toowoomba mayor Geoff McDonald, whose mobile message bank is now full.
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