Roller shutters in Carlisle

Carlisle's count has moved one way for four years running. WA Police recorded 85 burglaries in the suburb in 2021, then 84, 67 and 55, and in 2025 the figure fell to 40. That is less than half the 2021 count, and well under the 119 recorded in 2018.

The rate is the part that still deserves attention. Forty burglaries works out at 5.9 per 1,000 residents, against 4.0 for metropolitan Perth as a whole, so even after the fall Carlisle sits at about one and a half times the metro rate. Police publish a single burglary figure for each suburb, covering homes and businesses together.

No product changes those numbers. What a roller shutter adds is a physical barrier on windows and doors: lowered, it covers the glass and makes forced entry slower and noisier. It works best alongside good locks and lighting, not in place of them.

Carlisle's housing is more mixed than Greater Perth's. At the 2021 Census, 66.0% of occupied dwellings were separate houses, against 77.8% across Greater Perth, while 30.9% were semi-detached, terrace or townhouses and 3.0% were flats. Landgate's history says that from 1893 to 1912 the area was gradually settled, and the name Carlisle was chosen for the railway station in 1919.

With close to a third of homes in the townhouse group, strata rules come up often. In a strata scheme, the default by-laws say an owner needs the strata company's written consent to keep anything visible from outside the lot that is not in keeping with the rest of the building. A shutter on a window that faces the common driveway or the street can fall under that, so get the consent before you order.

On a freestanding house, residential roller shutters on bedrooms and the back sliding door are the common place to begin. For a patio or alfresco, our outdoor blinds range covers Ziptrak, Slidetrack, cafe and motorised blinds.

The Town of Victoria Park has written policy on roller shutters, and it is worth knowing before you choose. Guidance note 4 in its Local Planning Policy No. 32 says roller shutters are discouraged, because of their possible effect on the look of the streetscape and because they obstruct surveillance between the dwelling and the street.

Discouraged does not mean approval is needed. The same policy lists outdoor blinds and roller shutters on the same lot as a single house, grouped dwelling or multiple dwelling as exempt from development approval, on condition that the works are not in a heritage place. The state exemption for a single house runs on similar lines: the R-Codes have to apply, the work must meet their deemed-to-comply provisions, and the place cannot be heritage protected.

Two other points from the Town. A building permit is required in all instances for fabric awnings. And for non-residential uses in or next to residential areas, Local Planning Policy No. 3 states that roller doors or shutters will not be acceptable in any instance, so shops and offices near housing need another approach.

Carlisle residents with a WA Seniors Card may be able to claim the state Safety and Security Rebate, which lists security window screens or window shutters as an eligible item, up to $400 per household.