Rivervale resident's 60 complaints yield just one court case in three years
A Perth couple made over 60 complaints about antisocial behaviour at a neighbouring public housing property. Only one progressed to court.
Debra and Tim live in Rivervale, Perth, next to public housing. Residents and guests cause ongoing antisocial behaviour there.
Over about three years, they made more than 60 complaints to the Department of Housing and Works' disruptive tenant team. Only just over a dozen were proven true.
Just one reached court. CCTV footage shows fighting and potential drug dealing.
It also shows unsupervised children on the street. Police attend regularly but the pattern repeats.
The couple's complaints focus on behaviour on public land, not the property itself. But the department's process only covers tenancy breaches.
The department has offered skip bins and dumping cleanup. Debra says the burden of proof is unfair.
The agency cannot punish behaviour on the street.
- More than 60 over three years
- Complaints made
- Just over a dozen
- Complaints substantiated
- One
- Court cases progressed
Why it mattersResidents have lost sleep and security. The system leaves them with little way to enforce change despite months of evidence.
AustraliaThe Rivervale case highlights gaps in how Western Australia's Department of Housing responds to complaints about antisocial behaviour at public housing properties and the limits of community recourse.
Corroborated bytheage.com.au·watoday.com.au
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 3 h ago
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