Social Priorities

Go straight to:

• How does Community Development work at the City of Armadale?

• Identifying Social Priorities for the City

• 2023 - 2026 Social Priorities

• Identifying Social Priorities for the City

• Service Agreements

How does Community Development work at the City of Armadale?

What is Community Development?

Community Development involves ways of working which empower people to make changes in their community on issues that affect them. It means bringing people together to work on solutions that will benefit their community (Community Development Toolkit, Kylie Eastley Consultancy) An enthusiastic and committed Community Development team work to empower communities to meet their aspirations and respond to areas of concern. The City’s approach to community development comprises four steps:

1. Ask residents what they like about their suburb, what they’d like to see and what areas are of concern to identify

2. Research what projects/services work well in similar communities – known as ‘good practice’ examples

3. Identify the City’s role in a potential action plan

4. Explore possible projects/services with the community and local groups/organisations and invite them to be part of resulting action plans 

Identifying Social Priorities for the City

Since 2019 the Community Development team has asked residents across the City to tell us what they love about their suburb and what their concerns are. Staff also collate available data for each suburb from sources such as the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census, the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC), and crime statistics from the WA Police, as well as district level data from sources such the Department of Communities and the Department of Health. Local services and organisations working within the community also share their knowledge of what is happening for our residents. Identifying social priorities means hearing from community members about the most important issues people are experiencing in their area of residence. This is underpinned by a place-focused approach, determining the social priorities for each locality as a single, Citywide strategy may not meet the needs of people in different suburbs. The City’s Community Development team can work with the community to build on their strengths and address the main concerns. These engagement activities, under the banner ‘Growing our Community’, were conducted in 2019, 2021, and 2023. In 2026 the City is using the results from the  survey conducted in 2025 for the Strategic Community Plan review to determine Social Priorities for 2026 - 2029.

2023 - 2026 Social Priorities

The City of Armadale conducted the Growing our Community resident survey to help inform Social Priorities for the financial years 2023/2024 – 2025/2026. Between 1 February and 31 March 2023, 1,421 residents of the City of Armadale participated in the survey that asked:

1. What do you love about your suburb?

2. What do you think is the biggest social issue in your suburb?

The responses helped identify the best aspects of living in each suburb and social issues of greatest concern to residents living in those suburbs. The City combined these survey results with information received from local staff of community and government support services and local Census data, police crime statistics and the results of the Australian Early Development Census, to identify to social priorities for the City for the next three years. The following four priority areas have been identified:

1. Neighbourhood and Community Connections in the suburbs of Harrisdale, Haynes and Piara Waters:
   building social connections between residents through community capacity building activities such as Town Teams, Residents Associations, community barbeques, and informal contact groups and activities. This also includes supporting groups of specific interest such as the Multicultural Advisory Group and activities for isolated older people.

2. Access to Essential Supports for people living in the suburbs of Armadale:
   supporting residents access health and welfare services through information sharing and promotion, including for residents experiencing homelessness, food security and other financial crises.

3. Home and Community Safety for residents of all suburbs:
   working with community groups and the WA Police on projects that prevent and respond to crimes in the home and community, including child safety, and Family and Domestic Violence, through community education and resourcing.

4. Children, Young People & Families living in the suburbs of Armadale, Brookdale, Camillo, Harrisdale and Piara Waters:
   supporting organisations that work with families and young people, providing parent education on important topics, and supporting activities for families to connect with others. This also includes supporting the Armadale Youth Advisory Council.

Download Growing our Communities Social Priorities Review 2023

Identifying the City's role in the response

Having identified what social issues the Community Development team can address, the Community Development team researches what programs and activities are already being delivered in the City, as well as what has been successful here and in other similar communities. Good practice examples are then considered for how they might work here in the City and what would be needed for them to succeed.

What the City can do as an organisation can be broadly categorised as follows:

Advocacy: To advocate to the state and federal government the need for services, resources and facilities. Please see the Advocacy Priorities Strategy 2022 – 2030 for more information.

Coordination of services: Working with local service networks and specific stakeholder groups including community groups to work collectively to make positive change.

Contracting services: Negotiating with not-for-profit and private service providers to deliver services and programs via a Social Priorities Service Agreement.

Capacity building: Assisting groups with information and links to other organisations and funding sources, delivering that City’s Community Grants program and providing training to staff and volunteers of community services and groups.

Service Agreements

The City of Armadale contracts community organisations and local businesses to provide services to address the City’s Social Priorities in identified suburbs. 

The following overview summarises the contracted services delivered in 2025 / 2026. 

Social Priority of Access to Essential Supports

AMURT Australia (WA), provided breakfast and lunch hampers to support vulnerable families with school-aged children. 

360 Health and Community - Street Doctor: Street Doctor is a free healthcare clinic to vulnerable people and people at risk of or experiencing homelessness within the City of Armadale. Currently delivered by a nurse practitioner, services provided through the clinic include:

• Immunisation for children and families who may not be up to date;

• Support Services (i.e. Mental health, alcohol, drug issues, sexual health and general health);
  Chronic disease management; and

• Preventative health.

Clinics operate every Tuesday from 9:00am until 1:00pm at the Champion Centre - 76 Champion Drive, Seville Grove. 

Empower2Free delivered 5 interactive financial literacy workshops, covering vital topics for financial stability.

Social Priority of Children, Young People & Families

The Fathering Project will be delivering a group for fathers and father figures raising children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The sessions will be delivered fortnightly between November 2025 and July 2026. The program is designed to equip participants with practical tools, build their parenting confidence and foster peer connection. The sessions will be held at Armadale Community Family Centre (ACFC) from 4.30 – 5.30pm.  Follow https://www.facebook.com/thefatheringproject/ on Facebook.

Freestyle Now delivered a series of coaching sessions across local skateparks and pump tracks. 

Dismantle – Fix a Bike delivered youth engagement sessions at Gwynne Park Skatepark and John Dunn Challenge Bike Park during January 2026.

Centre for Stories - The Spark small group mentoring program teaching young people how to transform personal stories into creative expression. 

Singing Mamas is a connection-based wellbeing program that aim to reduce isolation, strengthen community ties, and support early intervention in mental health through music and connection for mothers and female caregivers while remaining open to all women regardless of age, background or life experience. Keep up to date on their Facebook. 

Sock and Buskin provided a drama program to young people aged 14 to 17 years.

Armadale Community Family Centre delivered the Aunties Circle for mums and caregivers to connect, learn and create. Kids are welcome, with safe and engaging activities provided. Enjoy a free light morning tea, with tea and coffee provided.

📍 101 Challis Rd, Seville Grove

🕤 9:30 – 11:30 AM

📅 Every Friday during school term

See their Facebook page for more information.

Universal Health Care delivered individualised developmental screenings within Early Learning and Education Centres and/or Playgroups and sessions for parents to discuss the screening and any next steps. 

Social Priority of Home and Community Safety

Armadale Neighbourhood Watch deliver activities that promote home and personal safety in the community. These activities include Street Meet and Greet events, attending community events and presenting information to other community groups and residents on various subjects related to home safety and security. See https://www.facebook.com/Neighburhoodwatcharmadale/

Constable Care Foundation - Forum Theatre: A school and community-based program that allows young people aged 9-17 years to identify and explore social issues they are currently experiencing through the development of short film or live theatre performances. 

Social Priority of Neighbourhood and Community Connections

Culture Care – Connect Learn Play delivered nine community connect evening sessions for residents of all ages, as well as three school holiday activities for children aged 9 – 15 years based around AI Learning, Tennis and Cooking. 

Grow Cook Eat WA delivered Food and Friends workshops at the Piara Waters Public Library and the Armadale Community Family Centre. 

DMN Solutions delivered social coding sessions to foster an inclusive, collaborative environment where individuals, regardless of experience, can explore and improve their coding and software development. 

The Men’s Table established a Table for residents of Harrisdale and Piara Waters.