‘Where else are they supposed to go?’ Two-day deadline to clear Perth homeless camp sparks fierce backlash

September 11, 2026 — 1:00pmFive people sleeping rough in Perth’s southern suburbs have been given two days to pack up their personal belongings and move on, sparking backlash on social media.The City of Rockingham notice, issued by the team leader of ranger services on Wednesday, gives the five people camping at Baldivis wetlands until midday on Friday to remove their belongings.The Baldvis wetlands is about 45 kilometres south of Perth. Trails WA/T LindseyAccording to the notice, anything left behind would be “removed and impounded” and held for between three days to two months, before they would be “destroyed”.The notice does say why the people are being moved on, or offer any assistance, only that it is in accordance with the Local Government Act.But Homeless in Perth WA’s Facebook page administrator, Vangy Baker, who is in touch with the people living at the wetlands, said the people who were issued the notice have no car to move their items.The notice issued to homeless people sleeping at the Baldivis wetlands.“Moving tents and belongings does not resolve homelessness. It simply moves people from one patch of land to another,” Baker said.“If smaller, isolated camps around Baldivis, Rockingham or anywhere else are cleared without appropriate alternative accommodation, there is a real risk that more people will gather at visible locations.“Where else are they supposed to go?”Vangy BakerThe small camp at Baldvis is separate to a larger well-known homeless camp in Safety Bay along Memorial Drive, where roughly 150 homeless people are living in tents and their cars.Baker said she was contacted several times daily by “desperate” people in Perth who have nowhere to stay.“They are exhausted and frightened. Many services don’t have beds available, and they are repeatedly calling services that are already full,” she said.“People are being punished for being visible, while the fundamental problem remains unchanged - they have nowhere lawful and safe to sleep.“At an absolute minimum, there should be lawful safe parking and temporary sleeping areas near tilers and showers and other safe facilities.”Shelter WA chief executive Kath Snell.Shelter WAKath Snell, the chief executive of Shelter WA, the peak body for ending homelessness, said this was another example of how the state needed “urgent housing solutions”.“Moving people on doesn’t end homelessness, it just relocates it, and that is why Rockingham desperately needs more safe, secure, affordable homes, as well as a dedicated respite service for people doing it tough,” Snell said.“This is sadly yet another example of how dire our housing crisis is and how urgent we need housing solutions, both respite and long-term.”The notice has drawn hundreds of reactions and emotional comments on social media.“Not good enough. Where’s their compassion?” one person wrote.“This breaks my heart and makes me angry at the same time,” wrote another. One person said it was the most “bloody appalling thing I’ve seen all year”. Others wanted to know why the notice had been issued in the first place.The City of Rockingham has been contacted for comment.Carla Hildebrandt is a journalist with WAtoday. She previously worked on ABC’s Four Corners and as a court reporter at The Daily Telegraph in Sydney. For secure contact: carlahildebrandt@proton.me.Connect via email.From our partners