More than a dozen homeless people were cleared from outside Flinders Street Station on Wednesday.

But they simply moved across the road.

Council and police moved in shortly after 10am on Wednesday, with the group shifting their belongings to the other side of the footpath to make way for a street sweeper.

Moments later the camp was set up again.

Efforts to clear camps of homeless people from Melbourne’s streets have intensified ahead of the Australian Open.

It was the council’s New Year’s resolution, with Lord Mayor Robert Doyle committed to removing the camps and rubbish around CBD streets.

And with the tennis grand slam around the corner – bringing the eyes of the world on Melbourne – those efforts have gone up a gear.

Melbourne City Council says there’s no link between the event and the clean-up.