Two counties in Western Australia have some of the highest rates of unoccupied housing in the country, but for two very different reasons.
Key points:
- Census data found 1 million homes were vacant across the country
- About half of all homes in WA’s Gingin, Dandaragan and Trayning counties were empty
- In coastal cities, housing is empty due to a large proportion of holiday homes, while rural areas have a declining population.
While Gingin Shire is home to the thriving resort towns of Lancelin and Ledge Point, Trayning is an agricultural town with a declining population.
According to census data, one million homes across Australia are unoccupied as the country faces an acute homelessness crisis.
The beach towns of Lancelin and Ledge Point are favorites among Western Australian families looking for a quick weekend getaway.
But when these travelers return to their daily lives, the vacation homes they stay in are often deserted.
Gingin County stretches along the WA coast from Guilderton to Nilgen, and a recent analysis found 47% of its homes were empty.
Gingin Shire chairman Wayne Fewster said the population in his district could change by up to 300% depending on the season.
Gingin Shire chairman Wayne Fewster says the local population can fluctuate by as much as 300 per cent in peak tourism periods. (ABC News: James Carmody)
“Our busiest period is during the holidays and around the first of January … our population is about 5,500 and we estimate it will be 10,000 to 15,000 during those busy periods,” he said.
“If you do the census in January, you’ll find it would be a totally different number.”
Dandaragan Shire, just north of Gingin and encompassing the coastal town of Jurien Bay, saw similar vacancy rates.
Data collected in the census underpins billions of dollars in federal funding, including for education, health care and critical infrastructure like highway upgrades.
Fewster said his region was deprived of government support because of its status as a tourist destination.
“We’re certainly at a disadvantage, you can’t argue against that,” he said.
“Without that density and that population, it’s very difficult to get those services and have them year-round because there are periods when they won’t be viable and other periods when they’re stretched to the limit.”
From tourist town to “ghost town”
About 300 km inland from Lancelin, the Trayning Shire of the Wheatbelt is home to about 300 people, many of whom grow cereals.
The census revealed that 43% of their houses were empty, but for a very different reason than their coastal neighbours.
An abandoned house in Trayning, where 43% of homes are unoccupied according to census data. (ABC Midwest & Wheatbelt: Sam McManus)
Trayning Shire chief executive Leanne Parola said declining population and low land values had led to homes being abandoned.
“Many of these houses are not livable,” he said.
“They are in farms or they have been let go or there are houses in villages that could not be rented to anyone.
“The fact is there are no houses available to rent privately.”
Trayning Shire CEO Leanne Parola says many of the homes in her community are uninhabitable. (ABC Midwest & Wheatbelt: Sam McManus)
Trayning’s population has fallen by 13 per cent over the past decade, and Ms Parola said there was little incentive for landlords to rent out empty properties.
“When you’re looking at an average rent of $120 a week, you’d often lose money if you had to replace a hot water system or do some plumbing or something like that,” he said.
“It’s not commercially viable in these small areas.”
The local general store is in Yelbeni, 14 km east of the Trayning town site.
The original shop burned down in 2007 and now operates from the old town hall.
Owner Phil Hutchison said it was sad to see the population decline in small Wheatbelt towns.
Yelbeni store owner Phil Hutchison says small towns aren’t as busy as they used to be. (ABC Midwest & Wheatbelt: Sam McManus)
“Forty years ago, when I was a local footballer, Wyalkatchem Bowling Club and the hotel were packed on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays,” he said.
“It would have been the same for Trayning.
“You can’t go to the local hotel for lunch because they can’t cater for that, maybe no one will come for two days.
“Dinner is usually always, but it would be very difficult for all the businesses in the country with these smaller towns.”
Local news straight to your inbox
ABC Midwest & Wheatbelt will deliver a roundup of the week’s news, stories and photos every Thursday. Register here