The Aporia · Police operation moves on last Memorial Drive rough sleepers

Police operation moves on last Memorial Drive rough sleepers

Read the original at The Sydney Morning Herald ↗

Cite

APA MLA Chicago

Hastie, H. (2026, September 24). Police operation moves on last Memorial Drive rough sleepers. The Sydney Morning Herald. https://www.smh.com.au/national/western-australia/police-operation-moves-on-last-memorial-drive-rough-sleepers-20260924-p6108h.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

Quick Summary

On Wednesday, Rockingham police and Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) officials gave 50 rough sleepers on Memorial Drive a 24-hour notice to vacate. By Thursday morning, most had left or were packing up; one person was charged with trespassing. Two dozen officers removed materials from camp sites while offering support services. Homelessness Minister Matthew Swinbourn stated that almost everyone accepted offers of accommodation and support, noting ongoing outreach efforts for months prior to the operation.

Written by AI on 2026-09-24, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Memorial Drive in Rockingham, Perth's south, has been the site of a significant homeless encampment since hundreds of people set up tents along its grassy verges due to lack of housing options. The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) gave campers until September 22 to vacate, leading many to leave but leaving about 50 still in place by Tuesday night. Homelessness Minister Matthew Swinbourn reported that around half were willing to move while another 16 people had refused help or accommodation offers.

On Wednesday morning, police and DBCA officers arrived at the site, informing remaining campers they had 24 hours to clear out before facing forced eviction. Most agreed to pack up their belongings. By Thursday, contractors started disposing of abandoned camping materials and rubbish from the area as 10-15 campsites still remained. A black Ford Falcon performed a burnout near Memorial Drive during these operations.

Rockingham Police charged a 35-year-old man with trespassing in connection with the event; he will appear in court on October 9. The government claims it has been providing resources and support services for those affected by the closure.

Written for “Memorial Drive Evictions” on 2026-10-30, grounded in this article and the 3 other(s) covering the same event.

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 4% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

Homeless campers in Rockingham pack up after being ordered to leave Same event

ABC News (AU)

Hedges 0 of 4 claims Outlet record 68/100

Police operation under way to move on last Memorial Drive rough sleepers Same event

The Sydney Morning Herald

Hedges 1 of 23 claims Outlet record 61/100

Clock is ticking for remaining Memorial Drive campers Same event

The Sydney Morning Herald

⚖️ Leans right Hedges 1 of 29 claims Outlet record 61/100

How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted

sentences that state something as happening or true

Uncertain

1 of 23 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

Leaning

withheld

no quote in the article backed the model's score

Publisher signals

61/100

The Sydney Morning Herald's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.

Outlets on this story

Politics

Same framing elsewhere

articles that frame the event the way this one does

Analyzed 2026-09-24 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability

Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

The Sydney Morning Herald · 5569 article(s) · 15 correction(s) detected

Running correction rate · 15 correction(s)

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Who wrote this

Hamish Hastie

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Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 28 articles by Hamish Hastie →

Topics

DBCA Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions Falcon Ford Rockingham

Subjects

DBCA ORG · 3× Nicky PERSON · 2× Rockingham GPE · 2× Swinbourn PERSON · 2× Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions ORG · 1× Ford ORG · 1× Matthew Swinbourn PERSON · 1× WA Police ORG · 1×

Narrative

As police and DBCA officers moved down the road, followed closely by assembled media, a black Ford Falcon did a burnout on the corner of Memorial Drive and Safety Bay Road. WA Police said Rockingham Police had charged a 35-year-old man with trespass and would appear in court on October 9.

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-24

🔮 About two dozen police and DBCA officers began speaking to the remaining campers around 10.30am to advise them they would be moved on, which was met with general acceptance from most rough sleepers this masthead witnessed.

2026-09-24 · The Sydney Morning Herald

Police operation moves on last Memorial Drive rough sleepers · assertive framing

Claims (23 extracted, 1 hedged)

One person was charged in a lowkey police operation to move on the remaining rough sleepers on the street on Memorial Drive in Rockingham. asserted

person → charge → Rockingham

On Wednesday, the remaining 50 or so rough sleepers on Memorial Drive were given 24 hours to vacate the area, where some have been camping for months. asserted

some → remain → months

Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions contractors began removing materials and rubbish left at camp sites along the verge and in the bush. asserted

Department → begin → bush

About two dozen police and DBCA officers began speaking to the remaining campers around 10.30am to advise them they would be moved on, which was met with general acceptance from most rough sleepers this masthead witnessed. asserted

masthead → begin → sleepers

Most had either packed up their belongings or were in the process of packing up. asserted

Most → pack → process

Police → move → October

One motorhome was towed and put into storage while two vehicles were towed, one of which was abandoned, and the other one had been put into storage. asserted

one → tow → storage

Homelessness Minister Matthew Swinbourn said everyone still there on Memorial Drive on Thursday morning were directed to support services in the area, and almost all people had now accepted support and accommodation offers. asserted

people → say → offers

“All those who were on Memorial Drive site have now left, and no camping signage has been installed,” he said. asserted

he → leave → site

“We have taken a compassionate approach from the start of this, and for several months, outreach services have been down at Memorial Drive five days a week, providing access to housing, healthcare, and other support. asserted

services → take → housing

Swinbourn said offers of support and transitional accommodation remained in place. asserted

offers → say → place

“But ultimately, we’ve reached the pinch point now where the more formalised actions to clear the site need to be taken,” he said. asserted

he → reach → site

“I want to be really clear: it has been months of outreach services that have been working with them to try and get them on a pathway to a different alternative to Memorial Drive.” asserted

that → want → Drive

Swinbourn said DBCA would make the site less accessible to vehicles with fencing, so people can’t park on Memorial Drive’s verges. asserted

people → say → verges

Homelessness advocate and moderator of the Homeless Perth Facebook page Nicky, who asked her last name not be used, was packing down abandoned camping equipment in good condition so it could be donated to other homeless people. uncertain

it → ask → people

She said the size of the response from police was intimidating to the remaining rough sleepers. asserted

size → say → sleepers

“They’re all scared. asserted

They → ’re → ?

They’re intimidated. asserted

They → ’re → ?

They don’t know where to go,” she said. asserted

she → know → ?

Nicky said the government needed to open up disused caravan parks or utilise the Bullsbrook quarantine facility – an idea which has been emphatically rejected by the government because it is not close to services. asserted

it → say → services

“[The quarantine facility] is going to get turned into a jail because that’s so important,” she said. asserted

she → go → jail

“But don’t worry about the 79-year-old lady that’s got cancer. asserted

that → worry → cancer

“She’ll be fine in her little motor home and travelling everywhere, not knowing where to go.” asserted

She → travel → home