The operators of a pub in Western Australia's far north are seeking permission to build an Electric Fence in a drastic response to escalating break-ins and theft.
The Kimberley Hotel at Halls Creek, 2,600km north of Perth, has lodged a development application to install the security measure, with councillors to vote on the proposal at a meeting later today.
The pub is one of the only accommodation options for essential FIFO staff such as doctors, nurses and trades workers who provide services in the outback town.
Family assaults and youth crime hit an all-time high in the town earlier this year. Earlier this week an incident occurred where rocks were thrown at an aged care home.
Kimberley Accommodation Group director Martin Peirson-Jones said the hotel's primary concern was the comfort and security of staff and guests.
The Kimberley Hotel is the main watering hole for locals in Halls Creek.(Supplied: Facebook
)"The proposal put to shire incorporates or exceeds all necessary Australian standards relating to the installation and operation as it relates to personal safety," he said.
"We believe it can be effective in its purpose as well as more aesthetically pleasing than some of the security fencing solutions being used in the region."
Hotel owners hope the new fence will keep tourists safe.(Supplied: Shire of Halls Creek
)Safety measures include a 10–20 centimetre gap between the electric fence and the established chain-link fence to stop people from getting trapped between them.
During the public comment stage, one submission was received, signed by two residents, with concerns about the installation.
Concerns were raised on health risks to children and people with heart problems, reputational damage and adequate signage for non-English speakers.
Castle Security Perth, which would undertake the work, has addressed the health risk in a council report.
"Anyone touching the fence will receive a short and painful shock similar to the static shock you can get when leaving your car, only more painful," it said.
The company said the amount of energy the fence would use had been tested to be safe for all people, including those using pacemakers.
The pulse detection would also send an alarm to a mobile phone, notifying hotel staff of potential break-ins.
The shire's officers have recommended the application be approved.(The outback town is home to diverse language speakers, with many Aboriginal residents speaking English as a second or third language.
Many residents were concerned that non-English speakers in the town might have difficulty reading the fence's warning, but appropriate visual signage will be implemented if the development approval is granted.
In the report, shire officials recognised there was a risk of reputational damage, and there was a need to increase the number of tourists who use the accommodation.
The officials' recommendation is to approve the Kimberley Hotel application.
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