I’ve lived in Rockingham my whole life and I have a strong love for our area. I take deep pride in our community and I want Rockingham to be a safe place to raise a family, earn a living, enjoy our beautiful coastline, and retire with dignity.

Over recent months, community safety has been a topic that has been raised with me in my discussions with the community. As a result of these conversations, I held a community safety forum to bring together the residents, police, and state and local government representatives, to hear the community concerns, share updates, and talk about what’s working and what needs improving.

The Cook Government’s priority is to keep our communities safe, as every Western Australian deserves to feel safe where they live. Our Government has been working hard to boost our police workforce resulting in more police on the street than ever before. We’ve also passed the toughest bikie anti-consorting laws in Australia, introduced the strongest firearms and knife laws in the nation, and we’re cracking down on the perpetrators of family and domestic violence.

As highlighted during the presentation, instances of crime in our community are decreasing. But we know there is more to do. Locally, we have:

• Boosted funding to extend the administration hours of Rockingham Police Station, which remains operational 24/7.
• Increased police recruitment course capacity to get more officers on the beat.
• Opened the new world-class Baldivis Police Station, strengthening police numbers across the district and reducing the area Rockingham Police need to cover.
• Improved communication and cooperation between key stakeholders to ensure local issues are addressed quickly and effectively.

Hooning and Road Safety

On the night, many residents raised concerns about hooning and reckless driving on our local roads. It was encouraging to hear from A/Inspector Scott Starkie that in the Mandurah District alone, more than 750 vehicles have already been impounded just this year.

Our anti-hooning laws give police strong powers to keep reckless drivers off our roads, including the ability to impound vehicles used in hooning or dangerous driving offences. These impoundment laws ensure that those who put others at risk face immediate and serious consequences. Additionally, police have the authority to seize and destroy unregistered trail bikes and other vehicles that are often used illegally and dangerously in public spaces. Together, these measures act as both a deterrent and a practical way to remove unsafe drivers and vehicles from our streets, helping to keep our community safe.

The Cook Labor Government is also about to start trialling noise detection cameras to catch hoons using leading new technology, on top of the new mobile safety cameras that can see into a vehicle's cabin. I will continue to advocate for these new cameras to be deployed to Rockingham.

Posting and Boasting

There were also local concerns about youth offending and violent assaults being filmed and shared online. Our government has introduced post-and-boast laws to Parliament to crack down on this violence, and at the same time, we are expanding youth diversion programs, such as In-Roads and crisis care units at Banksia Hill Detention Centre, and funding police and community youth centres and youth services to give people positive pathways. The best way to stop crime is to prevent it in the first place.

E-Rideables

Another common concern raised at the forum was the use of e-scooters and other eRideables. While most riders do the right thing, we know there are some who act irresponsibly and put others at risk. That’s why our Government has launched a parliamentary inquiry into the safety, regulation and penalties associated with eRideables in Western Australia. This inquiry could result in WA having the toughest e-scooter laws in the country, and the report will help guide further action to keep our community safe.

In the meantime, it’s important to remember that eRideables are subject to road rules just like any other vehicle. Riders must be at least 16 years old, wear a helmet, and travel at safe speeds of 10 km/h on footpaths and up to 25 km/h on bike paths and local roads. Only one person is permitted per device, eRideables must be fitted with lights, reflectors and a bell, and riders are subject to the same drink and drug driving laws as motorists. WA Police have also been carrying out targeted enforcement, while the Road Safety Commission is running campaigns and education programs to raise awareness about safe and legal use.

Retail Crime

Retail crime hurts workers and their families. This year, stronger penalties came into effect for repeat shoplifters, with violent offenders facing up to 10 years in prison. We are trialling automatic numberplate recognition cameras at suburban shopping centres to catch thieves and offenders. These cameras link straight back to police control rooms. New technology is being employed.

Family and Domestic Violence

We know that community safety is not just about policing - it is also about protecting people at home. As you can see from the graphs that were shared on the evening, most crime rates in Rockingham are down, with the exception of family and domestic violence.

Family and domestic violence has been a taboo subject for too long, and thankfully we now have higher awareness and higher levels of reporting. Since 2017, our government has invested more than half a billion dollars into tackling family and domestic violence, and we are cracking down on violent offenders with new laws to allow the tracking of offenders using ankle bracelets.

We have provided extra support to the Lucy Saw Centre in Rockingham to deliver the Safe at Home program to help women and children stay safe and secure by providing in-home supports, safety planning, security audits and, importantly, security upgrades to their property. We are also working on expanding Lucy Saw's refuge capacity with a $200,000 business case to deliver more beds so that more women and children have somewhere to turn in times of crisis.

How You Can Support Community Safety in Rockingham

Community safety is a responsibility of everyone. If you witness any suspicious behaviour or illegal activity, please report it as soon as possible. Having records helps law enforcement build a case for the appropriate action to be taken, and it helps demonstrate a need for more resources to be deployed to a particular area.

In an emergency, please call 000. To report or request Police assistance or attendance in non-urgent matters, please call 131 444 or report anonymously to Crime Stoppers online or to 1800 333 000.

If your home has security cameras, I encourage you to link your home CCTV system to the Western Australia Police Force with Cam-Map WA. If you have a Pensioner or Concession Card, the City of Rockingham have a Safety Subsidy Scheme of $150 available per household, per financial year. Additionally, If you are a WA Seniors Card member, you can apply to receive the Safety and Security Rebate which allows a claim of up to $400 per household towards the purchase of eligible home security or safety items such as a doorbell camera which can help with reporting disruptive behaviour.

If you notice an area is a particular hotspot for activity, you can request additional SmartWatch patrols in your neighbourhood by submitting a request online here.

Thank you to those in our community who took the time to attend my forum.

There’s still more to do, but I know Rockingham is stronger and safer when we all work together – police, state government, council, service providers, and most importantly, you and our community.

I’d also like to thank Police Minister Reece Whitby, A/Inspector Scott Starkie, and the City of Rockingham for their support and attendance. Their insights and collaboration are invaluable in strengthening community safety.

I know that community safety matters deeply to Rockingham and it matters deeply to our government. We will continue to invest more in our police, better technology, tougher laws and safer roads. As your local Member, I will keep working with you because keeping our community safe is a responsibility everyone shares.