Community perception of affordable housing in Dardanup shire has dropped by almost half in biennial survey

The community perception of affordable and social housing in the Shire of Dardanup has seen a significant decline, with residents unhappy with the offerings in the shire’s town centres. After receiving feedback from around 900 community members for the 2025 Community Scorecard, the performance index score for availability of affordable housing, social housing, crisis accommodation and other housing options has fallen from 60 in 2023 to 34 in 2025. The score is nine points below the industry average and comes as a housing crisis continues to grip the nation. Despite the fall in the housing category, the shire was ranked second overall among regional councils and eight overall among more than 70 councils across Australia which participated in the MARKYT accredited study. Conducted biennially, the MARKYT community scorecard report compares the shire’s performance against other local governments. The shire has witnessed improvement in community engagement and communication, economic development and job creation, access and inclusion and several others. But the housing happiness falling below the industry average is a stain on their otherwise positive report. Shire president Tyrrell Gardiner said the overall results reflected the community’s trust and the shire’s ongoing commitment to improvement. “Our community has told us loud and clear — we’re on the right track,” Cr Gardiner said. “It’s encouraging to see strong results in areas like planning, sport and recreation, and parks and playgrounds, which continue to be important to our residents, “We know there’s always room to grow, and we’ll continue to listen and act on all feedback, just as we’ve done with every scorecard.” Another area the shire has seen a decline is reconciliation action, recognition and respect for First Nations people. The performance index score for this section has fallen from 61 in 2023 to 57 in 2025 while the industry average is 62. Cr Gardiner said the shire saw improvements in communication and engagement scores and acknowledged community input continued to shape major initiatives, including the Community Safety and Crime Prevention Plan 2023-2028 and the launch of the Digital Connections program for seniors.