Angry residents demand urgent action amid claims hooning, condoms, faeces plague South Perth foreshore

Big changes could be coming to how people experience the South Perth Esplanade amid claims late night hooning, anti-social behaviour, vehicle congregation, nitrous oxide misuse, condoms, empty litre bottles of liquor, faeces, public urination, and alleged attacks on the elderly plague the area.

Residents told a City of South Perth agenda briefing on December 9 “urgent action” had to be taken.

“Give us a hotline with a responsive person that will act for us … we’ll keep them busy,” South Perth resident Nick Tarner said.

“Put up no-parking signs after certain hours. That will deter them.

“Increase patrols, increase the lighting … Just do it.

“Act. Get it done. End of story.”

Resident Chanel Marriott said she had seen nangs used and public urination in “broad daylight”.

“I have witnessed young men exiting the car to relieve themselves as families walk past on the foreshore,” she said.

Residents were also frustrated with the responses they had received from police.

“An 81-year-old man was attacked with an axe while asking a driver to slow down only just a couple of days ago,” resident Rachel Matthews said.

“When we call police … they tell us it’s a local council problem. When we speak to the city, they say we have to speak to police.

“Enough is enough … Surely it’s time for the City of South Perth to collectively work with the WA Police to stop this before we have a fatality.”

Peter Carter, who said he had lived in the area for 30 years, said the problem did not affect just the Esplanade but the entire city.

“Once they know they can’t come to the Esplanade, they’ll move down the road … You’ll chase your tail and you’ll waste money.” he said.

New City of South Perth councillor Tim Houweling said he had seen the behaviours and they had been an issue for an “extended period” of time.

“Persistent hooning and antisocial behaviour have made it intolerable for residents,” Cr Houweling said in a motion he plans to present to the council.

“I have personally witnessed and reported instances of motorbikes operating without baffles, cars fitted with re-welded straight exhaust systems that bypass mufflers, and vehicles using foreshore roads as informal racetracks.”

His motion seeks a combination of speed limit reductions, road reconfigurations, raised pedestrian crossings, night-time closures for James Mitchell carpark between 10pm and 6am, activation of a $22.5 million election commitment for CCTV, increased street lighting and rubbish bins, and joint enforcement operations with WA Police.

Cr Houweling has asked city staff to provide advice on the process and requirement for reducing speed limits on Mends Street, Harper Street, Frasers Lane, Ferry Court, and the section of South Perth Esplanade between Frasers Lane and the Sir James Mitchell Park car park to 20 km/h and all other roads on the Peninsula east of the Mill Point Road / Labouchere Road intersection to 30 km/h.

He also wants to look into developing a local law to prohibit or restrict cyclists from using South Perth Esplanade if “justified on public safety grounds”.

Cr Houweling said anti-social behaviour included excessive noise from modified exhausts and high-speed driving, repeated late-night gatherings characterised by loud music and disruptive behaviour, the misuse of nitrous oxide canisters, public safety risks and damage to amenity to “one of the city’s most visited and valued locations”.

City officers said the proposal had not been fully investigated and presented to the council for review and analysis, and it had “significant associated unbudgeted costs and requires approval of other third parties”.

They also warned that some of the proposed measures could have a “negative impact” on some members of the community and recommended consultation.

“It is recommended that it would be more appropriate for the information sought within the notice of motion be investigated first and presented to council ahead of 2026-27 budget adoption,” their report said.

“This is not recommended as the role of rangers is distinct and is separate to the role of police and should remain this way.”

Staff have instead suggested a report be prepared that deals with questions in the motion, and a meeting be held with the WA Police Force to discuss the issues.

The council is scheduled to make a decision at its December 16 meeting.