The sprawling encampment under the rail bridge on the northern bank of the Yarra was the most visible sign of a homelessness crisis the council is struggling to confront. A staggering increase in the number of people sleeping rough in the CBD has prompted the council to almost triple its annual homelessness budget in an attempt to stem the crisis. The unprecedented funding commitment, which includes cash for a 24-hour safe centre, coincided with the monumental clean-up of Melbourne's largest and longest-running rough-sleeping camp. Dozens of police and council workers descended on Enterprize Park on Wednesday following concerns over ballooning collections of furniture and camping equipment in the public area alongside the Yarra River. Earlier in the week, the council issued homeless people with notices to dismantle their camps following reports of drug use and storage of knives at the site.

Homeless couple Dave and Kellie were evicted from their makeshift camp at Enterprize Park in the city on June 27, 2016 in Melbourne, Australia. Credit:Pat Scala The lord mayor and homeless services are concerned some people have been turning down temporary or crisis accommodation – saying they will only move for permanent homes. "If you're out on the coldest night, surely crisis accommodation is better than that?" Cr Doyle said. When authorities moved in on Enterprize Park on Wednesday, 10 people remained. Although some left before they could be assisted, homeless service Launch Housing said four people have been given hotel or other temporary accommodation. Of those that still remain at the camp, one is an American tourist and another is Godwin Aquilina, who has been sleeping rough after his local council in Maddingley refused him a permit to keep his pet ram.

The Melbourne City Council and Police moves the homeless people and their belongings away from the Enterprize Park. 29 June 2016. The Age NEWS. Photo: Eddie Jim. (Godwin Aquilina and his ram) Credit:Eddie Jim Winter usually sees a slump in visible rough sleepers in Melbourne but earlier this month 247 homeless men and women were found sheltering on the streets around the CBD, a 74 per cent increase in two years. Salvation Army Major Brendan Nottle said he had never seen it so bad and pointed to decades of under investment in front-line services in the suburbs and regional areas. "A lot of the people we are dealing with have trauma that was caused back in their childhood. It hasn't been effectively addressed and the mental-health issues have just got more complex," he said. "We're dealing with a wicked problem, it's a complex and entrenched problem. It's a problem that the City of Melbourne can't resolve, and I think it's unfair to expect them to resolve it."

In a last-minute change to their annual budget, the council this week voted to give an extra $2.2 million to help tackle street homelessness, with the hope the cash reserve will be added to by the state government and philanthropists. Loading It allocated $100,000 for a feasibility study to find council-owned property that could be used for supported accommodation for the homeless. Meanwhile, a 24-hour "safe space" will be opened at the Salvation Army's Hamodava Cafe on Bourke Street, in a 10-week trial that could be extended if it's successful. The initiative is jointly funded by the council and Collingwood Football Club.