Many residents have lived in social housing at some point in their lives. They kept their homes clean, tended their gardens, and were good neighbours. Being poor does not make someone a bad parent or a bad neighbour. People choose the kind of neighbour and community member they want to be.

Dawesville deserves better than labels like "little Armadale", "a slum", or "a ghetto". These words are not only inaccurate, but they are also harmful. Dawesville was once a beautiful, peaceful coastal community and it can be again. The problems residents are seeing today are not caused by housing types. They are caused by behaviour, accountability, and a lack of visible support from the systems meant to keep communities safe.

A Southern Corridor Without a Police Presence

One of the clearest issues facing Dawesville is the absence of a local police presence. Dawesville has a population of around 10,000 people. It is one of the largest communities in Western Australia without its own police station. The entire southern corridor from Halls Head to Wannanup to Dawesville relies solely on Mandurah Police Station, which is more than 12 kilometres away. Response times are stretched before an officer even reaches the suburb.

When compared with other regional towns, the gap becomes even more obvious. Smaller towns such as Dwellingup, Waroona, Boddington, Harvey, Collie, and Pinjarra all have their own police stations. Some of these towns have populations as low as 1,000 people. Yet Dawesville, with ten times that number, has none.

How Dawesville Compares with Other Satellite Communities

The Peel and South Coastal corridor show a long chain of suburbs without police stations. Secret Harbour, Golden Bay, Singleton, Lakelands, Madora Bay, Meadow Springs, Falcon, Wannanup, and Dawesville all rely on stations outside their own communities. Secret Harbour is the only suburb larger than Dawesville without a station, yet it is serviced from the north by Rockingham and Warnbro. Dawesville sits at the southern end of the corridor with no nearby support.

This leaves more than 20,000 residents across Falcon, Wannanup, and Dawesville without a local police base. It is a structural gap, not a community failure. The geography of Dawesville makes it even harder. It is long and narrow, with one main road in and out, bridge chokepoints, and a large ageing population. These factors increase the need for a local presence, not reduce it.

What Dawesville Needs Now

The community is not asking for special treatment. It is asking for fairness. It is asking for the same level of safety and visibility that smaller towns already receive. A dedicated police presence in the southern corridor would ease pressure on Mandurah officers, improve response times, and restore confidence for residents who simply want to feel safe in their own streets.

A Practical and Immediate Solution

One practical option for improving safety in the southern corridor would be to establish a manned police presence at the often vacant community centre. The building already sits at the heart of Dawesville and could easily serve as a shared community and policing hub. A small team of officers working from the centre would provide visibility, faster response times, and a sense of stability for residents. The space could also support youth programs, drop-in sessions, and activities such as blue light discos, giving young people positive connections with local police. It is a simple and achievable step that would strengthen the community while making better use of an underused public asset.

Dawesville is not a slum. It is not a ghetto. It is a community that has been left without the support it needs. With the right attention and the right investment, it can return to the beautiful, peaceful place it once was. The first step is clear. It is time for the southern corridor to receive a greater police presence.