Mandurah MP David Templeman has welcomed the City of Mandurah's decision to introduce patrol services from Surf Life Saving WA, to watch over its popular beaches from next month.
The McGowan government has put $287,000 towards supporting a $553,329 contract to trial the beach safety services, which will cover the cost of lifesaving patrols, with options for additional services, such as jet ski and inflatable rescue boat services.
The decision to fund the patrols followed a request by the City of Mandurah to redirect funds for a beach enclosure at Falcon to meet a community preference for lifesaving services.
Mandurah's community already has a keen sea sense, being one of the top locations where surfers and divers have claimed the McGowan government's world-first $200 rebate to purchase a scientifically-proven shark deterrent device to switch on their personal safety.
The new SharkSmart WA app is also proving popular, with more than 10,000 downloads since its recent launch.
The free app is the latest safety tool added to WA's comprehensive shark mitigation strategy to help people switch on their sea sense when they head to Western Australia's beaches over summer.
"I congratulate the City of Mandurah on committing to three years of beach patrols that will support their community and provide lifesavers at four locations," Mr Templeman said.
"The patrols will operate on beaches at Pyramids, Falcon Bay, San Remo as well as Mandurah's Town Beach from January 20 to mid-April, with the trial of the lifesaving services to be assessed annually over the three years.
"These new services align with Western Australia's comprehensive shark mitigation strategy, which funds Surf Life Saving WA beach and helicopter patrols along Perth Metropolitan and South West beaches, including Mandurah."
