Fitzroy Legal Service calls on the City of Melbourne to immediately suspend $2 million investment in harmful security guard program

September 2025

In our submission to the City of Melbourne, Fitzroy Legal Service highlighted our concerns about Council’s plan to spend $2 million on a private security guard program, which is causing significant harm and risks to safety for our clients experiencing homelessness.   

The Council’s 2025-26 budget earmarked the private security guard program in the interests of community safety, however in reality the program would work to target behaviours inherently connected to poverty, such as begging or sleeping in public.

Through our outreach services within the Melbourne CBD, Fitzroy Legal Service has been on the ground supporting communities impacted by the Council’s plan. We are hearing directly from our clients experiencing homelessness about being harassed and targeted by these security guards during the Council’s pilot security guard program.

We have concerns about the legal and human rights implications of the private security guard program, and believe that this program undermines the principles and goals of the Council’s plan and vision.

The program creates an illusion of safety at the expense of human rights and dignity.

People experiencing homelessness are among the most marginalised Victorians, and at greatly increased risk of human rights violations due to over surveillance, discrimination, and harassment simply by existing in public spaces.

We stand in solidarity with our clients and alongside allies across the legal and community sector to call on the City of Melbourne to depart from this punitive response to homelessness, and instead redesign its approach to create safety through preventative health-based responses and harm reduction, in close collaboration and consultation with community members who are experiencing or have lived experience of homelessness.

Join us in calling for a City of Melbourne that is grounded in safety and dignity for all. Give your feedback to the Council at their next public meeting on 21 October 2025.

Further detail will be released on this page in mid October.