Public Transport Authority and City of Perth turn off anti-homeless device in Lord St underpass after backlash

The City of Perth and the Public Transport Authority have been left red-faced after a high-pitched noise device to deter homeless people was installed on the edge of the Perth CBD. Footage of the device in operation went viral after the shrill noise was captured being emitted in the Lord Street underpass, near McIver Station in East Perth. The PTA said the device had been turned off on Tuesday. “The City of Perth requested the installation of a noise device at the Lord Street underpass,” a spokesperson said. “The noise device has been turned off. “We will be working with the City of Perth to determine a more suitable way forward.” Premier Roger Cook said the decision to install the device on State Government land was made by the “lower levels” of the PTA. “There was a request from the City of Perth to install the facility . . . a decision was made to do so, but at fairly lower levels of the PTA, we’ve now asked for that that device to be turned off, and obviously we’ll dismantle it,” he said. “My understanding is that within local teams, they made that decision, but that the decision did not go up the authority, supply chain or the chain of management. “Obviously, this isn’t what we do in Western Australia. We try to avoid persecuting or making life uncomfortable for people who are homeless and already experiencing a great deal of discomfort.” A City of Perth spokesperson said they requested the device be installed by the PTA after “ongoing reports of antisocial and criminal behaviour and community concerns about safety in the area, including from cyclists using the bike path through the Lord Street underpass”. “The device forms one part of a broader safety approach and was implemented in response to requests for action to help improve the safe use of the space. “It is not intended to target or deter people experiencing homelessness.” The spokesperson said the city was focused on improving community safety and would continue trying to assist people sleeping rough. “This includes increased security patrols, the installation of CCTV and the deployment of mobile CCTV trailers to support safer access and use of the underpass. “The city also works closely with the Department of Communities and WA Police to help people experiencing homelessness access support services. “We recognise this is a sensitive issue and remain committed to balancing safety, accessibility and the respectful use of public spaces for everyone in the community.” City of Perth Lord Mayor Bruce Reynolds was approached for comment. Rough sleeper Matthew Swain told The West Australian he had encountered a similar noise at other locations in the Perth CBD, including in a privately owned Wilson carpark. “It’s a disconcerting noise – it definitely does its job,” he said. “If that noise is happening, which is at least probably, 50 per cent of the places where I’ll go to crash . . . we have that high pitch of noise. “I definitely can’t stay there once I notice it, that’s for sure. So it’s off putting.” Mr Swain said the underpass was a “known spot” for homeless people seeking shelter, but that he hadn’t slept there. “It’s definitely really loud under the underpass. I don’t go and stay there because I don’t like encroaching on other people’s spots. “When I’m walking through there from McIver to Claisebrook, I noticed that . . it’s one of the most full on, loudest versions of it. “I couldn’t stay there with that noise and where I went to stay last night, setting up in one of the car parks, one of the Wilson car parks . . . I noticed the noise not quite at that level, but yeah, (I) had to leave pretty much straight away.” The City of Bunbury was slammed in 2023 after they played The Wiggles’ song Hot Potato on loop to deter people sleeping around a public amphitheatre. The Wiggles subsequently banned the city from playing their music. Mr Cook, when referencing the Wiggles ordeal and the recent installation of the East Perth device, said the State Government didn’t welcome such an approach. “These are acts by local governments, but this is not the sort of activities or devices that we’d like to see installed on state government property,” he said. Mr Cook said the government would work with the City of Perth following the device’s removal. Housing Minister John Carey said he was unaware of the noise-emitting device’s installation, located in his electorate, until news reports on Tuesday. “More broadly, as the local member, I am aware of this underpass, there has been significant concerns raised by the local community, including assaults of local residents,” he said. “I personally had a woman contact me, a local constituent who had been assaulted there. So clearly, there’s work to be done in improving the safety around the underpass.” Mr Carey said there were other methods to improve public safety, including better lighting. “I do recognise that my local community has had significant concerns about this particular underpass, but I don’t think using a high pitch sound is appropriate,” he said. “I understand we are spending a lot of money in homelessness outreach. As you know, we increase funding for homelessness outreach. We’ve got common ground — we want to assist people to transition off our streets, but we also still face anti-social behaviour issues in particular pockets.” Homelessness Minister Matthew Swinburne said that people sleeping rough deserved to be treated better. “I don’t think it’s great. I think people who are homeless need to be treated with dignity,” he said. Uniting WA CEO Michael Chester said forcing people to congregate elsewhere didn’t solve problems. “While we understand there may sometimes be reasons these devices are used, it’s important to acknowledge that simply moving people on doesn’t solve the problem, it just shifts it elsewhere,” he said. “In this case, it’s shifting extremely vulnerable people who are already in high distress.” The area surrounding the underpass was once coined Perth’s very own “tent city,” with about 50 people living there in August 2020. In 2021, a series of accidental rubbish fires destroyed property belonging to members of the homeless camp. The following year, the number of people living near the site grew to more than a dozen.