Politicians have been left scrambling to contain growing frustration in Perth’s inner-east, as Rivervale residents hit with spiralling anti-social behaviour accuse the Cook government of passing the buck while ignoring a community living in fear.
Rivervale is a suburb about 10 minutes from the Perth city centre, and locals have recently highlighted ongoing dysfunction and anti-social behaviour they are experiencing due to unchecked and unsupported public housing in the suburb.
Local member Cassie Rowe and Minister for Police Reece Whitby toured the suburb last week and spoke to business owners on the Kooyong Road strip, after many raised concerns when a teenager charged a passerby with a machete last month. Rowe is understood to have attended the shopping strip with a state government photographer, but did not notify media of the visit.
Cafe owner Richie Harrop was one of the locals Rowe and Whitby met with, and said the visit came after months of the community working to be heard.
“The community of Rivervale is tired of being ignored, patronised and handed generic political responses that tip-toe around the edges, while the problems affecting our neighbourhood continue to escalate,” he said.
“We are tired of a five-minute political photo ops that generate a Facebook post but deliver no actual change.”
When asked about the purpose of his visit, Whitby told reporters Rowe had approached him with concerns that had been raised with her about the Kooyong shopping strip, and asked him to visit.
“I simply went along and I spoke to some of the local business people there and had a conversation with some local people about the issues,” he said.
“I know that things have improved in terms of greater police presence, [and] that had already occurred before I went there. Cassie had communicated her concerns, and police responded with some extra patrols.
“You get those issues from time to time in areas like that.”
In a follow-up email sent to business owners on Wednesday after the visit, Rowe said she was working behind the scenes to address their concerns.
“I want to be very clear that the absence of a detailed update should not be mistaken for inaction,” she said.
“Anti-social community behaviour can be a challenging and complex matter to address, not exclusive to the Rivervale community, and takes time to manage.”
She said she had “multiple meetings” with the City of Belmont, the Department of Communities, WA Police, and Minister for Housing and Works John Carey. Rowe also said she had hosted a public community meeting, and confirmed her discussions with Whitby.
“We need to address the anti-social behaviour whilst recognising that some individuals require significant support to tackle the underlying issues contributing to their circumstances,” Rowe said.
However, she also urged locals to “be realistic”.
“I recognise the frustration felt by residents and businesses who continue to experience these issues. I also believe it is important to be realistic about what can be achieved, the responsibilities of the different agencies involved and the time it can take to work through difficult and often sensitive matters. I am not going to make promises about immediate solutions or commit to deadlines that are outside my control,” Rowe said.
Harrop said the email had done little to assuage local’s fears they weren’t being heard.
“We’ve heard it all before; ‘it’s complicated’, ‘there are so many layers’ and ‘multiple agencies are involved’. Of course the problems are complicated - nobody suggested otherwise ... we do not expect every problem to be solved overnight, but we do expect a clear plan,” he said.
Liberal MLC Phil Twiss also met locals this week, including a Rivervale couple who lodged over 60 complaints about a problematic public housing tenancy in three years.
Twiss went on to ask a question in parliament on Tuesday, calling on the Minister for Housing and Works John Carey to explain what was being done to help residents.
“I refer to reports from business owners along Kooyong Road in Rivervale and Belmont who have experienced an increase in antisocial behaviour, including public intoxication, threatening conduct and individuals allegedly carrying weapons,” he asked.
“Is the minister aware of these concerns?”
Answering on behalf of Carey, Minister Jackie Jarvis offered this response.
“Complaints related to public housing tenancies must relate to a tenancy matter. Where concerns are identified, appropriate action is taken in accordance with the Residential Tenancies Act 1987,” she said.
“The conduct described is a matter for the Western Australia Police Force. The Department of Housing and Works (DHW) works closely with WA Police where criminal matters related to tenancies are identified.
“It is important to note that the Department of Housing and Works has no power to investigate matters that occur away from a property.”
Harrop said the response is emblematic of an enduring attitude in government.
“The involvement of multiple government agencies should not mean that nobody ultimately takes responsibility - if the government can identify the problem, it can develop a plan to address it,” he said.
