Warwick Farm station car park overrun by rough sleepers and drug paraphernalia, commuters say

Warwick Farm Station's multi-level car park in Sydney's southwest has been occupied by rough sleepers and drug users for months, leaving commuters and staff fearful and Transport for NSW to issue eviction orders.

Commuters and staff say the top levels of the car park have become a makeshift residential area strewn with used syringes, razor blades, shattered glass, trolleys of clothing and rubbish, soiled mattresses, human faeces and the smell of urine. Transport for NSW has issued orders requiring those living on the premises to leave by Friday, but a date for a formal clean-up has not been set.

Commuters reported avoiding parking on level three and above because they considered the areas unsafe. One commuter who gave his name as Aaron said staff had begun escorting colleagues to their vehicles after a period in which "a nurse was attacked here at night time." "There was a period where a nurse was attacked here at night time. Then they had to start escorting staff back here at night when they were parking here," Aaron said. He said he feared for his wife's safety and picked her up at the station rather than letting her walk home.

Another daily user of the car park, identified as Alan, said he had made multiple formal complaints and voiced frustration that paying passengers were forced to navigate needles. "It's OK for us to pay to catch public transport in an environment which is meant to be safe, we park our car here, which we pay for as well, but yet we have to go through needles every single morning," he said.

Witnesses described stairwells converted into sleeping areas, with mattresses left on landings and windows covered by sheets. An exposed, frayed extension cord was seen running down a stairwell and appliances were reported to be plugged into power points across the car park levels. Fire-hydrant hose reels in the car park have been removed from their walls, according to reports.

Staff have been instructed not to clean parts of the car park for safety reasons, and some staff avoid the top floors entirely, the commuters said.

Liverpool MP Charishma Kaliyanda said the community had shown initial compassion but had reached a breaking point. Kaliyanda called on Liverpool City Council and police to take action, noting the difficulty that rough sleeping and homelessness are not criminal offences while saying the council could not expose children or the wider community to needles and dangerous waste.

Sydney Trains chief executive Matt Longland said rough sleeping was a reality across the network, which includes almost 170 stations used at times as shelter by people experiencing homelessness. Transport for NSW manages the Warwick Farm car park.

Transport for NSW's eviction orders require those occupying the car park to vacate by the specified date on Friday. Authorities have not announced when cleaning and repairs will commence or what immediate measures will be taken to ensure commuter safety until a clean-up occurs.

Local officials, commuters and the transport authority said they are weighing responses that balance public safety with the needs of people experiencing homelessness, while police and council involvement were being sought by elected representatives and local users.

Warwick Farm Station serves suburban commuters on the edges of greater Sydney, and reports of the car park occupation say the conditions have persisted for roughly three months. Commuters and local officials say continued coordination will be required among transport authorities, council services and outreach programs to clear the site and provide alternative services for those displaced.