News

The City of Busselton is pleased to announce that Saltwater Busselton will officially open on Saturday 9 May 2026. The opening will mark a major milestone for the region’s arts, culture and events landscape.

The City of Busselton’s Youth Services team is entering an exciting new chapter, with a refreshed layout of the Youth and Community Activities Building designed to better support young people within the community.

At Wednesday night’s Ordinary Council Meeting on 28 January 2026, Council received the Saltwater Busselton Interim Project Learnings Report, which provides early insights into the delivery of this significant community facility. A comprehensive final report will be presented six months after the venue’s official opening.

The City of Busselton Libraries have received a $9,900 Community Cohesion Grant through the Australian Library and Information Association, in partnership with the Office for Social Cohesion and supported by the Australian Public Library Alliance. The funding will support the delivery of a diverse range of programs designed to build, strengthen and protect community cohesion, while helping individuals and communities connect in meaningful and inclusive ways.

As part of the City of Busselton’s Australia Day celebrations, the City hosted its largest Citizenship Ceremony to date and presented the 2026 Community Citizen of the Year Awards. Australia Day is an opportunity for all Australians to come together to reflect, respect and celebrate being part of our nation’s story.

The City of Busselton is set to host its largest Australia Day Citizenship Ceremony and Community Citizen of the Year Awards next Monday, 26 January 2026, commencing at 9.00am at the Busselton foreshore amphitheatre.

Forrest Beach and Wonnerup Beach remain popular locations for fishing, horse riding and other recreational activities. The City has undertaken works that aim to improve safety and infrastructure, as well as help protect our beaches and dune systems now and into the future.

The City of Busselton’s popular You Choose community funding program is back, with $100,000 available to support community-led projects that strengthen connections and enhance local wellbeing. Grants of up to $20,000 will be awarded to successful initiatives.

The City of Busselton has taken control of the Saltwater site and will now progress outstanding items to bring the performing arts and convention centre to its completion and opening.

In early December, the City of Busselton began installing a new beach barrier at the northern end of Forrest Beach, near the Shire of Capel boundary.

The City of Busselton has renewed and strengthened its long-standing partnership with Rio Tinto, extending the collaboration for another three years. The new agreement brings the total value of the partnership to $300,000, continuing programs that bring people together and support young voices in the South West, while expanding the scope of initiatives and resources available to the community.

At the end of November, City of Busselton staff from the Compliance, Rangers and Health teams joined forces with the WA Police and Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions to shut down an illegal multi-day music festival event in the Carbunup area.

The City of Busselton will begin installing a new beach barrier at the northern end of Forrest Beach, near the Shire of Capel boundary.

From now until 6 February 2026, the City of Busselton is collecting donations for the Give Write Program, helping local students in need start the school year with the supplies they deserve.

The City of Busselton invites residents of Yallingup and surrounding areas to take part in the Yallingup Community Emergency Preparedness Open Day – Bushfire Ready Together. The free event will be hosted at the Yallingup Coastal Bushfire Brigade, Valley Road, Yallingup from 1.00pm to 3.00pm Sunday, 7 December 2025.

Ten community organisations will be sharing almost $85K of funding provided through Round 2 of the City of Busselton’s 2025/2026 Community Assistance Program.

The City of Busselton has been ordered by the Minister for Planning to initiate Amendment No. 60 to the City of Busselton Local Planning Scheme No. 21. This Amendment seeks to rezone Vasse North, a 52.5 hectare parcel of land located on the north-western side of the Busselton Bypass and Bussell Highway intersection in Vasse.

The City of Busselton is proud to once again host its annual Play in the Bay event on Saturday, 29 November 2025, at Signal Park from 9.30am to 1.00pm.

The City is honoured to have been recognised at the 2025 Perth Airport WA Tourism Awards, taking out the Bronze Award in the Local Government Award for Tourism category on Saturday, 8 November 2025.

Over the past 12 months the City of Busselton has planted an impressive 44,000 plants across the City, from mature trees, shrubs and coastal plants, demonstrating the City’s strong commitment to protect and conserve the environment, while improving amenity and greening spaces for all to enjoy.

The City of Busselton is proud to announce the completion of the installation of new granite plaques at the Old Busselton Cemetery (Pioneer Cemetery), located between Marine Terrace and Adelaide Street, Busselton.

Held on Monday evening, 27 October 2025, the City’s Annual Sports Awards recognised and celebrated outstanding achievements and contributions across the local sporting community.

Following the 2025 City of Busselton Council Election, five Councillors have now been officially sworn into office in a ceremony held in the Council Chambers.

The City of Busselton is proud to announce that it will host the prestigious Australian Regional Tourism (ART) Convention in October 2026, welcoming approximately 300 tourism industry delegates from across the country.

The City of Busselton is proud to partner with Lamp Inc. and Accordwest to support individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness through the launch of ‘Your Story Matters: Access Assist Day’. This collaborative initiative will be held at the Busselton Library every three months over a 12-month trial period.

Local volunteer bushfire brigades joined forces last week to sharpen their skills and solidify their collaborative approach in preparation of the looming bushfire season. With the City’s annual Bushfire Risk Reduction Notice now issued, brigade members are calling on all residents to also act — prepare your property, make a plan and be bushfire ready.

At its meeting on Wednesday 24 September 2025, the City of Busselton Council approved both the Local Planning Scheme Amendment and the Local Structure Plan (LSP) for Lot 6 Commonage Road in Dunsborough. The City’s comments and the Council resolution will now be forwarded to the Western Australian Planning Commission and the Minister for Planning for their assessment and final determination.

Community groups, individuals, schools and local businesses are once again invited to apply for the City of Busselton’s popular ‘You Choose’ community funding program, returning for 2025/26 following its success in 2021/22 and 2023/24.

The City of Busselton has been named a finalist in two categories at the prestigious 2025 WA Tourism Awards for Business Excellence with the winners being announced on 8 November.

The City of Busselton is proud to announce that the 2025 Sports Awards will be held on Monday 27 October 2025, bringing the community together to celebrate the achievements of our local athletes, clubs and sporting associations.