Tenants of a social housing complex in Perth’s south-west say the shortage of water has grown so dire that some have begun drinking from bird baths, and Western Australia’s premier has issued an apology over the situation.
The people living on Lefroy Road in Beaconsfield accuse the state government of abandoning them to a worsening health crisis that has dragged on for weeks. Without any running water, the 13 residents cannot shower, flush toilets, wash dishes or do laundry. Instead, they are reduced to filling buckets and kettles at an outdoor tap after a pipe burst in the latest chapter of their water troubles. Several of them have complex health conditions, and they say they can no longer meet even the most basic human needs.
“Living like hell,” Ian Fegan told 9News. “I mean everyone’s starting to smell and all that.”
For those inside the flats, the taps now barely produce a trickle. “My toilet is starting to fill up now because I can’t flush the toilet,” Laurence Mather told 9News. “I can’t have a shower, there’s absolutely no water supply now.”
Premier Roger Cook acknowledged the problem on Wednesday, pointing to ageing infrastructure and what looked like a leak in the area. “We apologise for the inconvenience for these tenants,” he said.
The complex had endured a month of low water pressure before a pipe gave way on Friday night, cutting off supply to the flats altogether. Residents were told on Sunday they would receive bottled water. According to the state government, department staff had fixed a water pressure issue earlier in the week, and contractors were sent out again on Saturday afternoon to find out why the trouble had not been sorted.
For Mather, the desperation among his neighbours is plain to see. “So I came out at 5am and there was a resident drinking from the bird bucket over here,” he said. Fegan is particularly worried about the youngest residents. “There’s a family with kids here with kids as well,” he said. “I mean I feel sorry for the kids.”
The buildings are due to be knocked down within the next year under a redevelopment plan for Beaconsfield, and the tenants are now calling for emergency accommodation. “If they can’t make things happen, and they’re leaving their tenants in animal like conditions right, third world conditions, then they must have some legal obligation to relocate people,” Mather said.
Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas suggested the responsibility now rested on Daniel Pastorelli, the Water Minister who is also Minister for Mines, Petroleum and Exploration. “There’s a new water minister, he also is the new mines and petroleum minister,” Zempilas said, pointing to Thursday’s strike at BHP’s Port Hedland terminal. “He failed his first test last week, let’s see how he goes on this.”
