Our Community
Harvey District is situated close to the heart of the Harvey Shire which is in the South West Region of Western Australia, about 140 kilometres south of Perth. Harvey’s resident population numbers 4,212 (2016 Census), with a total of 27,029 people residing in the Shire itself. Surrounding towns also forming part of the Harvey Shire are; Australind, Brunswick Jn, Benger, Binningup, Cookernup, Myalup, Mornington, Uduc, and Yarloop. The Shire of Harvey is fortunate to have three CRCs – Yarloop, Harvey, and Brunswick Jn, situated within this area to support their own, and surrounding towns.
Industries contributing to the economy of the area are; agriculture, forestry and fishing; mining; manufacturing; electricity, gas, water and waste services; construction; retail trade; wholesale trade; accommodation and food services; transport, postal and warehousing; information media and telecommunications; financial and insurance services; rental, hiring and real estate services; professional, scientific and technical services; administrative and support services; public administration and safety; education and training; health care and social assistance; arts and recreation services.
Since its inception in 1995 the CRC organisation has adapted and expanded the range of services it provides to meet changing community needs. It has introduced programs to appeal to varied age groups including seniors, men, women and youth. Retirees also play an important role in the community and therefore the economy of Harvey, contributing to a significant portion of the population.
Although Harvey District has a productive and well organised business and retail centre, the size of the town limits variety and many services required by residents are still to be found in the more regional towns such as Bunbury and Mandurah. A portion of the Harvey residents have no access to personal transport and therefore rely on the services offered by Transwa, or Home & Community Care (HACC) and Senior Citizens Centre for seniors , to provide the transport they need to access the services they require in the larger towns. The sale of Transwa tickets has proved to be a valued service offered by HCRC over recent years and new partnerships are being sought to resolve transport challenges.
Some areas of the Harvey District do not have full internet access and many of the residents don’t have the means, or the ability, to connect to the internet themselves. The HCRC therefore plays a vital role in providing communication links and access to State and Federal Government services such as Centrelink, as well as internet access and business support services.
The HCRC aims to provide services which are relevant to all age groups but in particular to people seeking to learn new skills such as community groups, seniors, young people, and local people starting new business enterprises from home and other individuals.
The long-term partnership with the Shire of Harvey that the HCRC has enjoyed for many years means the local community receives access to Shire services including; access to up-to-date Shire-related notices , first contact point for dissemination of information to the community in the event of emergencies such as bushfires, and an advocacy/support service tailored to the needs of vulnerable cohorts in the community. These arrangements are in addition to a full range of internet, computer and business functions already provided for the community by the CRC.