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PoliticsQuiet 4d · day 4

WA police clear Rockingham homeless camp; dozens ordered to leave by end of day

About 45 people living in makeshift shelters on Memorial Drive are packing up after authorities issued evacuation orders, with support services proving insufficient.

newest coverage 3d agosummary written 13h ago3 pieces MastodonNewswiresGoogle News

What to know

  • About 45 homeless people living in a Rockingham camp were ordered to leave by end of day on September 24 after refusing a similar demand a week earlier.
  • The government said 30+ people were offered crisis accommodation or placed on housing wait lists, but campers and advocates report support services are severely inadequate.
  • The clearance was justified by safety concerns, antisocial behaviour, waste buildup, and approaching bushfire season; one resident was arrested and charged with trespassing.

Matthew SwinbournMatthew Swinbourn Minister for HomelessnessKath Snell Shelter WA chief executiveGemma Jones Camp residentOwen Farmer Self-described homeless advocate

How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlesposts

Peak 2 pieces in one hour at Sep 23, 11 PM; 3 pieces over 4 days (2 articles · 1 post) Sep 23, 11 PM — 2 pieces · 2 articles — Google News 1, Newswires 1Sep 24, 12 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 24, 1 AM — quietSep 24, 2 AM — quietSep 24, 3 AM — quietSep 24, 4 AM — quietSep 24, 5 AM — quietSep 24, 6 AM — quietSep 24, 7 AM — quietSep 24, 8 AM — quietSep 24, 9 AM — quietSep 24, 10 AM — quietSep 24, 11 AM — quietSep 24, 12 PM — quietSep 24, 1 PM — quietSep 24, 2 PM — quietSep 24, 3 PM — quietSep 24, 4 PM — quietSep 24, 5 PM — quietSep 24, 6 PM — quietSep 24, 7 PM — quietSep 24, 8 PM — quietSep 24, 9 PM — quietSep 24, 10 PM — quietSep 24, 11 PM — quietSep 25, 12 AM — quietSep 25, 1 AM — quietSep 25, 2 AM — quietSep 25, 3 AM — quietSep 25, 4 AM — quietSep 25, 5 AM — quietSep 25, 6 AM — quietSep 25, 7 AM — quietSep 25, 8 AM — quietSep 25, 9 AM — quietSep 25, 10 AM — quietSep 25, 11 AM — quietSep 25, 12 PM — quietSep 25, 1 PM — quietSep 25, 2 PM — quietSep 25, 3 PM — quietSep 25, 4 PM — quietSep 25, 5 PM — quietSep 25, 6 PM — quietSep 25, 7 PM — quietSep 25, 8 PM — quietSep 25, 9 PM — quietSep 25, 10 PM — quietSep 25, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 5 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 9 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — quietYesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 5 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 9 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quietToday, 12 AM — quietToday, 1 AM — quietToday, 2 AM — quietToday, 3 AM — quietToday, 4 AM — quietToday, 5 AM — quietToday, 6 AM — quietToday, 7 AM — quietToday, 8 AM — quietToday, 9 AM — quietToday, 10 AM — quietToday, 11 AM — quietToday, 12 PM — quietToday, 1 PM — quietToday, 2 PM — quietToday, 3 PM — quietToday, 4 PM — quietToday, 5 PM — quietToday, 6 PM — quietToday, 7 PM — quietToday, 8 PM — quietToday, 9 PM — quiet 1
Sep 24Sep 25yesterdaytodaynow · 10:38 PM ET
  1. background

    Police and wildlife officers arrive at camp to enforce evacuation — WA Police and wildlife officers visited the camp just after 10am to encourage people to pack up and leave. Officers referred to campers by their first names and were described as gently encouraging the evacuation. One man, aged 35, was arrested and charged with trespassing.

  2. 1

    Campers begin packing up belongings; mixed outcomes reported

    By morning, many people had already left, while others were still packing. Some, like Gemma Jones, rejected the offered accommodation (a Fremantle caravan park deemed too far away) and planned to stay in private yards or find other spots. A mother and child were being sent to respite accommodation for a week. Advocate Owen Farmer helped coordinate packing for multiple residents.

    “Memorial Drive is ... a very visible and distressing example of what we are seeing across WA.”
    — Kath Snell
    1. 2 outlets Homeless campers in Rockingham pack up after being ordered to leave

      first by ABC Australia, 3d ago · also Australian Broadcasting Corporation

      1 more headline
  3. background

    Authorities issue evacuation notice to Rockingham campers — WA authorities handed out letters to about 45 homeless people living in a makeshift camp on Memorial Drive, ordering them to vacate the area by the end of September 24. This was the second such demand; the first had been issued a week earlier.