CANBERRA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- One of Australia's leading charity workers has begun a 700-km walk from Melbourne to Canberra to highlight the growing problem of homelessness in Australia.
Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten officially sent the Salvation Army's Major Brendan Nottle on his way from Melbourne's CBD on Friday morning amid a police escort and cheering crowd.
Speaking to Australian media before beginning his journey, Nottle said he had become increasingly frustrated at the parliament's lack of efforts in combatting the homelessness crisis within Australia.
It is believed that there are more than 100,000 people who sleep rough each night, often on city streets, throughout the country.
"Basically, we've got to the point of severe frustration," Nottle told reporters.
"We work really hard to get a person off the street, (but) very quickly their place is filled by somebody else."
He said he now wanted to raise his concerns to the "corridors of power" in Canberra, hoping to meet Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull when he arrives in the nation's capital in 40 days.
A public petition has also been created in support of a national plan to battle the causes of homelessness.
Nottle said he was hoping for 105,237 signatures and to raise 200,000 U.S. dollars during his walk.
Shorten is heavily backing the campaign and, like Nottle, has become disheartened about the nation's politicians, saying Canberra needed "a kick up the backside" over its inaction on homelessness.
"It is ridiculous that we don't have enough money to do something about homelessness," Shorten told reporters on Friday morning.
"I'm optimistic we can make a difference".
As the Salvation Army's Melbourne commanding officer, Nottle has spent more than 22 years helping the less fortunate, with a particular focus on troubled youth.
He is expected to arrive in Canberra in mid-October.
