Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to discuss the recent meeting I attended with the Manning Community Association in my electorate of Swan. The Manning Community Association was established by local resident Steve Neates in June this year as an advocacy group for issues affecting local residents. I am pleased to report that the group already has over 100 members and has been concentrating on a number of issues, including the high concentration of Homeswest state housing and crime.

Steve said his motivation for starting the organisation was threefold; first, crime and antisocial behaviour are out of control—some members of the group see a link between antisocial behaviour and a small minority of troublemakers in Homeswest housing; second, as an opportunity for networking and building better community ties; and third, to advocate for infrastructure upgrades—particularly along the streetscape of Manning Road and the trouble spots at Ley Street, Welwyn Avenue and Elderfield Road.

I have spoken about the Homeswest housing issue before, but I will just make one further point today. I note on 27 October the WA housing minister, Troy Buswell, extended a pilot scheme that aims to provide specialised support to highly disruptive or antisocial tenants to end cycles of poor behaviour. During the first stage of the program, 14 tenants finished the program and two were evicted. This small minority of troublemakers do cause so many problems for communities across the electorate. I hope that this scheme delivers a good result over time and improves the situation. I know the WA Minister for Housing and Works is committed to an equitable spread of public housing across Perth and I remind him of the commitments he has made to people in my electorate. The affected areas extend to all parts, including Ascot, which I recently wrote to the minister about.

Today I want to focus more on the crime, networking and infrastructure priorities of the Manning Community Association. I know the government do pay attention to some of the speeches I make, because I have seen the results of it. Today I would like to call for an on-ramp at Manning Road-Kwinana Freeway intersection. I will be writing to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government to see if he can support local community, because it is much needed in the area. I have spoken on this matter before and it is a matter the state member for South Perth has been pursuing for a long time. Hopefully between the two of us we can get a federal and state outcome.

Steve Neates has said that his members are concerned about crime—everything from antisocial behaviour to carjacking and assaults on residents. Tackling the issue of crime is important. I have been sending crime information packs to residents in East Victoria Park and Rivervale, where there has been a recent crime spike. One part of the crime information pack I have been sending contains a Neighbourhood Watch application form. This brings me to another point about networking. Many people have commented to me on the importance of strengthening community ties to tackle this issue. Neighbourhood Watch does provide a way of achieving this. Only a couple of weeks ago I attended another neighbourhood watch meeting in St James. I congratulate the Manning Community Association for their formation and advocacy for the people of Manning and I offer to listen and work with them in the future.