Mandurah to host Australasia Police and Emergency Services games in 2018 | VIDEO

Representatives from WA police,the  Department of Fire and Emergency Services, St John Ambulance and the City of Mandurah gathered in Mandurah’s Mandjar Square on Friday afternoon to announce the news.

This will be the first time in 14 years the games are held in Western Australia.

The APES Games are a week-long multi-sport event held every two years in a different Australian location.

During the games 3000 competitors from police and emergency services throughout Australasia who have served for a minimum of 12 months compete in 50 different sport disciplines.

“We haven't held it now for quite some time [in WA] so we are very proud to be the owners of it,” WA deputy police commissioner Stephen Brown said.

“It's taken a lot of effort to get where we are but we've got a lot to do in the next two years. 

“They'll be events here on the waterways, they'll be events on the foreshore, they'll be events in some of Mandurah's fantastic sporting accommodation and facilities.”

Mr Brown said the organisation team was currently in talks to get policing and emergency bodies in Singapore, Hong Kong and Indonesia on board.

However, Mr Brown said he was optimistic about the success of the WA Police team on the event. 

“I reckon the WA team are going to do particularly well,” he said.

“I reckon we will be doing the best.”

Department of Fire and Emergency Services commissioner Wayne Gregson said it was a great opportunity to showcase what police and emergency services do.

“This is not only a great opportunity for some sporting rivalry and some really good interaction, behind the scenes there's a great comradeship between people involved in policing and emergency services,” he said.

“This is an opportunity to build on that in such a great place.

“It's a real opportunity for people to network, to build relationships and to de-stress.”

City of Mandurah Mayor Marina Vergone said the City was very excited to host the event, and said it was a great opportunity to show people Mandurah’s great assets.

“We have so much to offer down here in Mandurah, we've got the most beautiful waterways where you can have aquatic events,” she said

“We have many areas around here where we can host games and to bring people down here and show them what we have, I think it's a wonderful opportunity.”

The chosen mascot and logo for the Mandurah games in 2018 would be Bluey the crab, and the event would be promoted in social media using the hashtag #Mandurah18.

For more information about the games go to the APES Games 2018 Facebook page.