With just ten days of campaigning left until the May 3 federal election, one would expect political activity to be on the boil.
And yet, here in the City of Armadale and the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale, it’s rather tepid.
We’ve been examining the local commitments made by candidates from the major parties, and the lists have been remarkably underwhelming across the board.
Not a single advocacy priority project from either local government has been targeted this election cycle by the major political candidates.
Of course, federal elections are about much more than the chump change promised for local infrastructure projects. And one could certainly argue there are more important things to spend Australian taxpayer money on than more sporting fields.
But more than enough airtime and column inches have been dedicated to policy differences between Labor and the Coalition on housing, cost-of-living, energy, health, education, etc. elsewhere.
What The Examiner wanted to find out is what your local candidates are bringing to the table here in their own backyards.
Burt is considered a very safe Labor seat (13.3 percent margin). Matt Keogh won the 2022 election on first preferences, with a +10.5-point swing.
But after recent electoral redistributions, the seat now straddles the northern portion of the SJ Shire, taking on Oakford and Byford where two out of three polling places returned a Liberal majority last time around.
And yet, Mr Keogh has offered little to tempt voters in this patch.
In fact, the only truly local commitments he’s made this election cycle for voters within either LGA is $50,000 to build a new playground at the Armadale Community Family Centre, and $50,000 to build a new playground in Forrestdale at the Chinmaya mission.
The bigger ticket items have gone towards the City of Gosnells, with $1.4 million to build a new roof at the Thornlie Bowling Club, $1 million for the new Tigray Community Centre in Kenwick, and $1 million for new classrooms and a community hall at the Hindu Association of WA in Canning Vale.
But Liberal candidate for Burt Sean Ayres is much the same.
In fact, Mr Ayres has made no local commitments to voters in the City of Armadale or Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale.
Like Mr Keogh, he has focussed his local spending in the City of Gosnells, with a promise of $500,000 to upgrade the changerooms at Les Sands Pavilion in Huntingdale, and has one-upped Labor’s promise for the Tigray Community Centre to $2 million.
We asked both men why no funding had been promised for the Armadale Regional Recreation Reserve or the Serpentine Jarrahdale Rec Centre expansion – two of the biggest infrastructure priorities as outlined by the respective local governments in Burt. But neither answered our question.
We also asked whether we could expect to hear any more local funding commitments ahead of the election, and again, the question was ignored.
Mr Keogh made a note of his track record as local member, stating “our community has been growing quickly and that’s why I’ve been working hard to deliver the over $3.5 billion in transport infrastructure benefiting our community”. He also included a long list of items his government had delivered locally, including free walk-in mental health care in Armadale and Gosnells, funding for the Thomas Rd upgrades, funding for the Armadale Suburban University Study Hub, funding for the Armadale line upgrade, over $1 million in funding to local community organisations during his time in parliament, and a bulk-billed Medicare Urgent Care Clinic.
On that particular point, however, it’s prudent to highlight that the Medicare Urgent Care Clinic that was promised in May 2024, was supposed to be delivered in Armadale.
Instead, that too went to Gosnells.
Mr Ayres acknowledged that “our community infrastructure is in urgent need of upgrades to meet the demand in our growing suburbs”.
“I’m proud to have already announced a $4.6m commitment to local roads and infrastructure,” he said.
“However, in a cost of living crisis, our priority must be to help families pay their bills and help solve the housing crisis in our community. This means making hard decisions.
“Mortgage payments in Armadale are up 190 percent from 2022. Byford was last year the most mortgage stressed suburb in the country. Almost every resident I door knock tells me it’s harder than ever to keep ahead of bills.
“We have prioritised cost of living assistance.
“I have met with both the City of Armadale and the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale regarding their priority projects and will continue to advocate for the needs of local residents in these communities.”
The race for Canning has also yielded little for the residents of Serpentine Jarrahdale.
Liberal incumbent Andrew Hastie has delivered the only truly local commitments: $2.4 million to upgrade the Mundijong netball courts, and $138,000 to upgrade changerooms at the Serpentine and Districts Golf Club.
Meanwhile Labor candidate Jarrad Goold has promised $4.5 million in local infrastructure upgrades for Mandurah but nothing for SJ.
We asked why neither candidate had committed money for Keirnan Park, and whether SJ locals could expect to be thrown a bone or two before the election.
“When it comes to election commitments, Andrew doesn’t make promises he can’t keep,” Mr Hastie’s spokesperson said.
“He believes in responsible funding, long-term planning, and backing practical projects that are ready to go — the kind that make a real difference for local families.
“Since his election in 2015, Andrew Hastie has stood up for the entire Canning electorate — including the fast-growing Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale. He listens, he backs locals, and he delivers real outcomes for our communities.”
The Examiner didn’t receive a response from Jarrad Goold’s team.
In one of his campaign videos, he admitted to not really knowing much about Serpentine Jarrahdale, hailing from Mandurah and with links to Waroona and Pinjarra.
“I have a lot to learn about Serpentine Jarrahdale,” he said.
“And it’s been a joy meeting people and speaking about the issues that matter. There’s actually a really common theme throughout these areas, and that is opportunities for young people and families to get a good job and stay right here in our community.”
He explained his advocacy would focus on building on the opportunities created by the ‘historic development’ in the region like AUKUS, and the Westport terminal.
“Your local candidate needs to fight for as many of those opportunities in jobs and the infrastructure investment it will bring to stay in our region,” he said. “And that’s what I promise to do as your candidate.”
It’s an admirable sentiment, to be sure. But wouldn’t a little cash splash on some much-needed local infrastructure also help keep families in the shire?
The lacklustre bid for votes in the SJ Shire and City of Armadale would be easier to digest if it was just a matter of both parties tightening their belts during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
But one only has to look to the most marginal seats in the state to see that isn’t entirely true.
Tangney is the seventh-most marginal seat that Labor holds nationally and it’s the most marginal seat in Western Australia.
In March, the prime minister used one of his visits out west to announce Labor would front the remaining $10 million needed to build the Canning Vale Regional Sports Complex, which happens to be in Sam Lim’s hotly-contested seat of Tangney.
Meanwhile, in the state’s newest seat, candidates for Bullwinkel have been making it rain with cash promises.
Unfortunately, none of those commitments have been made in the hills areas cleaved from the seat of Burt.
Both the Liberals’ Matt Moran and the Nationals’ Mia Davies have offered around $20 million worth of incentives for park and volunteer fire station upgrades in Mount Helena, Kalamunda, Swan View, Mundaring, Glen Forrest, Forrestfield, and Boya.
To be fair, Matt Moran has made token (albeit unfinanced) vows to hills locals to scrutinise the water extraction issue, and to Kelmscott locals to fix the ongoing town centre issues.
“I know Kelmscott is struggling. We’ve got empty streets, vacant buildings and crime. It’s not good enough, and I’m listening to your concerns,” he said.
“I’m committed to fighting for Kelmscott’s future. We need investment to rejuvenate our town centre, support local businesses and address homelessness. I will work hard to bring the change that Kelmscott deserves.”
Meanwhile, Labor’s Trish Cook has promised a new child care centre and Medicare Urgent Care clinic in Mundaring and mental health centre in Kalamunda, alongside $2.9 million for an upgrade of Hartfield Park in Forrestfield, and $1.2 million to increase battery backup power and deliver automatic transfer units for up to 23 mobile towers across the Perth Hills region.
So, it’s clear the money to buy votes is there. Unfortunately, it seems the people in the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale and City of Armadale are being short-changed.
Nation-wide, the dissatisfaction with the two major parties has been growing for months, with recent polling showing the primary votes for the majors are at an all-time low, and many analysts acknowledging the increased likelihood of a hung parliament.
There are a range of alternative candidates in Burt, Canning and Bullwinkel.
In Burt, Liz Ierardi is running on the One Nation ticket, Adam Abdul Razak is the Greens’ hopeful, the Legalise Cannabis Party have backed Fiona Caruso, Alvin Mathew Vadakkedathu is standing for the Australian Christians, and Ashok Kumar Tewatia is running as an independent.
In Canning, One Nation is pinning their hopes on Fernando Bove, Jordan Cahill is running for the Greens, and John Raymond Carey is on the Citizens Party ticket. The Legalise Cannabis Party have just dumped their candidate for Canning.
And finally, in Bullwinkel, Trevor Mayes is running for One Nation, Les Holten for the Australian Christians, Penelope Rose Young for Legalise Cannabis, and Abbey Bishop for the Greens.
Early polling stations are now open at the Armadale Scout Hall on Townley Street, at 868 South Western Highway in Byford, 714 Ranford Rd in Southern River, and 816 Beeliar Dr in Success.
