Because Williams Landing was carved out of old airfield paddocks and surrounding grassland, much of its soil was heavily disturbed during construction, and that combination of freshly turned ground and abundant new pine framing is exactly what subterranean termites look to colonise. The suburb's nationally significant grassland reserves and the major central wetland are wonderful for wildlife but also act as a reservoir for field mice and rats that push into adjoining homes, especially as paddocks dry off over summer or get built out by the next development stage.

Densely packed townhouses and apartments near the station share walls, roof voids and subfloor cavities, so once cockroaches or rodents get a foothold they spread quickly between dwellings. The wetland and landscaped retention basins keep mosquito and spider numbers up through the warmer months, and the retail, dining and supermarket precinct at the town centre draws in rodents and cockroaches wherever food waste accumulates.

Add the constant earthworks of an estate that won't be finished until the 2030s, and pests are repeatedly displaced into established streets.