Submissions

To: NZ Parliament 
Date: July 2026 

Purpose

The purpose of the submission was to state DPA’s position on the bill which proposes that the Police be given powers to move on people deemed to be a nuisance or a risk in public places and this includes homeless people peacefully sleeping and begging in the street as well as people deemed to be disruptive. 

Summary of DPA submission

DPA opposes the Bill. 

DPA asks that the Bill be withdrawn. 

Disabled people experience higher levels of homelessness and are more likely to be living on lower incomes than non-disabled people which means they will be at disproportionate risk of being subject to move on orders.   

Criminalising begging and rough sleeping will not address the underlying structural issues that has created the increase in these activities in the first place. These structural issues include widening income inequality, reductions in public housing and social, health and disability support services (which have disproportionately impacted on disabled people).  

Disabled people living on our streets need appropriate compassionate responses that provide support with accessing housing, welfare, and income supports rather than punitive based criminalised approaches which will marginalise them even further and drive them from the help they need and from being included in their communities. 

Providing for courts to imprison people who do not comply with move on orders is unacceptably cruel and punitive. This will not resolve the issues facing homeless and poor people and will contribute to the already high rate of incarceration, especially of disabled people, within the prison system.