Perth Voice Interactive

A FREE meals service at Weld Square for homeless people will shift to 1.30pm to try to placate nearby residents and businesses.

Manna Inc hopes the change in time will result in the increasing numbers of people who depend on its charity disperse from the area by the time the sun goes down.

Locals have complained for years about anti-social behaviour, including fights and foul language.

Vincent mayor John Carey told locals via letter the change was an attempt ”at reducing the pressure on Weld Square during the evening by potentially reducing the number of people that gather in the park until late at night”.

But he notes there are other factors too, ”including intoxicated late night customers heading to McDonald’s… and a crackdown at Wellington Square in the City of Perth, which appears to have simply shifted some of the previous problems from that park into the City of Vincent”.

“The council has made commitments…to move Manna’s service by December, which is still the expectation of the community,” said resident Brayden Wardrop.

by DAVID BELL