- Popular entertainment areas north of Hillarys Boat Harbour to be protected by an extended Hillarys Protected Entertainment Precinct (PEP)
- Extended boundary promotes zero tolerance for antisocial and violent behaviour in night spots along Whitfords Avenue
- Hillarys PEP extension comes into effect during January 2025
A planned extension of the Hillarys PEP will increase the safety of locals and visitors to the boat harbour and surrounding areas.
The extension, north of the current Hillarys PEP along Whitfords Avenue, will come into effect during January 2025.
Introduced on Christmas Eve 2022, PEPs are designed to support public safety in five popular entertainment spots, including Hillarys, Scarborough, Perth/Northbridge, Fremantle and Mandurah.
People who behave in antisocial, violent or threatening ways, or have been convicted of violent or sexual offences, can be banned from entering PEPs.
PEPs are named in honour of nightclub manager Giuseppe 'Pep' Raco, who was the victim of an unprovoked one-punch attack in Northbridge in July 2020.
His death promoted an extensive campaign by his family to strengthen laws around violent offences in entertainment precincts.
As stated by Racing and Gaming and Police Minister Paul Papalia:
"Western Australians should be able to go out, or be at work, without fear of violence.
"Our PEP laws have been highly effective in keeping thugs out of entertainment precincts with more than 200 offenders barred from these areas for up to five years since coming into effect.
"That is why our Government has taken steps to extend the Hillarys PEP to make popular nightspots even safer."
