Aust'n city to make sleeping on streets illegal amongst "homeless crisis"

Melbourne's Lord Mayor has vowed to make sleeping on the streets of the city a crime amidst a "homeless crisis."

Authorities are preparing to take on a "get rough" approach to remove a camp of homeless people which has been set up outside the iconic Flinders Street station as the city hosts thousands of guests for the Australian Open.

The Melbourne city council will reportedly pass a bylaw that will make it illegal to sleep on the streets of the CBD, a policy switch it hopes will offer a long-term solution.

Undercover police will also pursue beggars who are only pretending to be homeless as Graham Ashton, Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police, said impostors had come into the city specifically to "shake down" Australian Open tourists for money.

Robert Doyle, Lord Mayor of Melbourne, said he was happy to put the police-backed proposal of banning sleeping on the streets to the council, where it is expected to pass in February.

"I am happy to put this proposal before councillors at our first meeting if it is Victoria Police's recommendation, and they guarantee that they will enforce it," Doyle told News Limited on Friday.

"Police already have powers to arrest for obstruction, for drug use, for threatening or aggressive behaviour, and for begging, and I would like to see them make full use of those powers as well.

"I welcome any move by police to bring an end to what has become a blight on our city, and the City of Melbourne continues to work with them to do that."

Ashton said that Victoria Police does not enforce laws that do not exist and the new bylaws would make their jobs easier.

"We've been meeting with the city council about what extra bylaws we can get, because I think it looks disgusting what you see in the city," he said.

"Whether it's that law (no camping) or some other law that meets the same ends, that's something we have to discuss." Endit