Mackay Remains Hopeful As sleepbus Plans Take A Turn

By Hannah McNamara

Questions begin to surface as Mackay locals express concerns over the original intentions of Melbourne-based charity, sleepbus.

The initiative was set to deliver three buses for the Mackay and Sarina regions as part of a movement to provide “safe sleeps” for the homeless. However, a recent announcement by the Founder of sleepbus revealed that the charity will soon cease their operations on June 30, 2025 due to financial difficulty.

The three buses included one for the Mackay region, one for Sarina, and a Pink sleepbus specifically designed for women and children. The charity gained momentum in the early days, with local charities raising over $300,000 to offer a safe space for homeless men, women, and children.

SAFE Sleep Mackay is hopeful it can still secure a sleepbus for the Mackay region, despite the national sleepbus organisation winding up.

In a statement made by Safe Sleep Mackay, the initial agreement was that “sleepbus was to retain ownership of the buses and assume responsibility for ongoing operations, such as maintenance, volunteer coordination and service delivery requirements.”

However, “With that national charity winding up, Safe Sleep Mackay is now looking at options to secure a bus for the region and to operate it via a local group.”

Lisa Jamieson, of Safe Sleep Mackay, said sleepbus founder Simon Rowe had advised the group that he was winding up his charity.

“While communication with sleepbus is still open and ongoing, we are actively working towards securing the transfer of the bus purchased for the Mackay region,’’ she said.

Ms Jamieson said stakeholders, including donors, had been kept informed of the development.

“It was not the news that we wanted to be sharing, but we wanted to raise awareness of this unfortunate development with stakeholders and the broader community.

“We remain so appreciative of the generosity of Mackay people and their willingness to help make life a little easier and safer for those sleeping rough in the Mackay region.

“We will continue to provide updates on the situation as it unfolds,’’ she said.

A spokesperson for the Mackay Community Foundation, a major donor, said, “We are deeply disappointed that the sleepbus charity will be winding down, possibly impacting the delivery of the PINK sleepbus that the Mackay Community Foundation supported in funding.

“While all donations to the Mackay Community Foundation are invested and protected, and therefore have not been impacted, we are just as hopeful as other stakeholders that this can be resolved positively for our Mackay community.”

The Mackay Community Foundation spokesperson added that while this news is a setback, the foundation remains committed in supporting Safe Sleep Mackay and Australian Street Aid Project.

“Safe Sleep Mackay are looking at options to secure buses for the region to ensure a compassionate and practical solution for short-term accommodation, as originally planned.

“We encourage our donors and supporters to stay tuned to the Safe Sleep Mackay Facebook page for updates, and we will continue to share information about the PINK sleepbus on our page also.

“We also want to acknowledge that it is challenging for non-profit organisations to continue to come up with funding year on year, and we urge the Mackay community to continue supporting local non-profits as their work is vital for those in need.  

Sleepbus Founder Simon Rowe said delays to rollouts were due to a number of issues, including mechanical problems, volunteer shortages, and funding challenges.

In a statement, Mr Rowe said that the cost-of-living crisis has halted donations.

“I have tried my best…I have worked my butt off but unfortunately the financial crisis we're all seeing and we're all facing has got the better of us as a small charity, and we won't be able to continue.”

He assured the community of his commitment to deliver at least one sleepbus to the Mackay region.

“My commitment is, I will do my very best to get at least one Sleepbus and I will drive it up there myself and deliver it.”

In a video on the sleepbus Facebook page, Mr Rowe posted a video specific to the Mackay situation and said that while he has received criticism as the CEO receiving money, he said “I don’t get paid so that is not the case”, and all of the money has gone towards building sleepbus vehicles and providing safe sleep.
He encourages locals to “hang in there” and “have a little bit of faith” as he tries his best to deliver for Mackay.

“I am trying my hardest…I will always do my very best.”

Mackay remains hopeful as efforts continue to secure a sleepbus for the region, despite the charity planning to cease operations in June 2025. Photo source: sleepbus (Facebook)

Sleepbus Founder Simon Rowe

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