A Carnarvon business owner who has started a campaign to showcase the area's positives says the continued comparison of the town to a "war zone" is unwarranted.
This month's liquor restrictions, aimed at reducing alcohol related harm and crime rates, has drawn attention back to the Western Australian town in the Gascoyne region.
Community leaders had previously described parts of the town as like a "war zone", in an attempt to gain additional support from the government to help address issues with anti-social behaviour, domestic violence, and property damage.
Jo Bumbak operates the business Bumbak's Preserves and Icecreams about six kilometres from town.
She said Carnarvon had issues like other small regional towns, but it was unfair it had been singled out and the war zone comparison was getting repeatedly referenced.
"Carnarvon is not a dangerous place, it is a beautiful place," Ms Bumbak said.
"When that word has been passed from tourist to tourist, that's not a good thing for Carnarvon and directly impacts the visitors to our town and means that a lot of people now are bypassing Carnarvon."
Ms Bumbak said she decided to step up her efforts to promote the town.
"I decided the best proactive thing to do is to use our social media to our favour and to get people to post positive things about Carnarvon and what they love about Carnarvon and we have had an amazing response," she said.
"I just ask the Carnarvon people to hold their heads high and be proud, and really promote and tell everyone how much they love Carnarvon."
Shire of Carnarvon president Eddie Smith said there had been lots of problems in a small part of town.
"There's only two areas and there's one or two streets in those areas that look like war zones and you can go over there now and it's still looks like a war zone," he said.
But he said the town was on a positive track.
"I use those words to get the government's attention because we were being ignored," Mr Smith said.
"It got their attention and they're putting things in place. They're listening to the community."
A tough start to the year
WA police figures show Carnarvon had its worst start to the year in a decade for criminal offences, with 553 recorded between January and March.
Nearly 50 per cent of those were categorised as property crimes, including stealing, vandalism and burglary.
Last year there were 501 over the same period, with 2017 being the closest comparison with 543.
"Over the summer period businesses were struggling, nearly every business had been impacted by youth crime in particular in the town, but the Geraldton police in conjunction with Carnarvon police seem to have got on top of most of that," Ms Bumbak said.
"So at this stage to call Carnarvon a war zone is putting all of Carnarvon in the spotlight and it's an unfair judgement."
Banned drinkers register coming
The state government is spending at least $2.4 million on the expansion of the banned drinkers register to Carnarvon as part of new liquor restrictions for the town.
It is expected to be rolled out later this month.
Premier Mark McGowan has made comparisons between Carnarvon's restrictions and what is place in Alice Spring and the Northern Territory.
Deakin University Professor of Violence Prevention and Addiction Studies Peter Miller said the measures were a step in the right direction, but a more holistic approach was needed.
"The big difference between the Northern Territory and Western Australia is that the Northern Territory went through the Riley review, which came up with recommendations for a systematic response across the state, where we don't see that in Western Australia," Professor Miller said.
"I think that's what's needed when you talk about these sorts of responses, because [if] you put this in place [in] Carnarvon, there is a really strong chance you're just going to move the problem somewhere else."
The town's liquor restrictions will be reviewed after 12 months.
