Tenants at a run-down public housing complex in Beaconsfield, Perth, say they have been left without running water for extended periods, forcing some to resort to drinking or collecting water from a bird bath. Residents describe conditions at the ageing property as akin to those in a developing nation, raising concerns about basic living standards and the state of Western Australia's public housing stock, which has faced long-standing criticism over maintenance backlogs and underinvestment.

Tenants at the site say repeated water outages have gone unresolved, leaving them without a reliable supply for washing and drinking, and prompting some to use collected rainwater or bird bath water as a substitute. They have described the complex as dilapidated and called for urgent repairs, blaming housing authorities for failing to maintain the property to an acceptable standard. The situation has renewed scrutiny of Australia's public housing system amid broader concerns about ageing infrastructure and delayed upgrades.