News

The City of Busselton will commence a staged opening of Saltwater Busselton with a Community Open Day on Saturday 9 May, inviting residents to explore the region’s brand new hub of arts, culture and events.

The Wadandi Track Expansion Project reached an important milestone last week, with tenders released for the construction of new track sections between Yelverton Road and Cowaramup and Sebe Road to Maze Road.

Eight community led projects will share $100,000 in funding after residents played a direct role in deciding where the money would go, through the City of Busselton’s You Choose Community Funding Program.

Following advice from RAC WA in April 2025 that it would cease operating its public electric vehicle (EV) chargers at the Busselton and Dunsborough foreshores, the City of Busselton temporarily assumed operation of the Busselton charger while investigating alternative options. While the charger in Dunsborough needed to be removed last year, the Busselton charger was able to be maintained for a 12 month period pending a review.

Congratulations to Finn Batley, the City of Busselton’s newly appointed 2026 Youth Trainee, selected through the ongoing partnership between the City’s Youth Services team and Rio Tinto.

Marri Reserve in Dunsborough is showing encouraging signs of recovery following the bushfire that passed through the area in February 2025. Thanks to the winter rains, a remarkable amount of native vegetation has begun to regenerate, with seeds successfully establishing and many trees and grass trees already resprouting across the reserve.

On 10 February 2026, the State Government’s Environmental Protection Authority made a recommendation to approve the proposed Smiths Beach Project (Coastal Tourism Village) in Yallingup.

The City is proud to announce that the Busselton Margaret River Airport has acquired a new state-of-the-art passenger boarding ramp, further enhancing safety, accessibility and efficiency for travellers flying in and out of the region.

The City of Busselton Council has endorsed minor adjustments to its Dog Beach Exercise Areas following a comprehensive review, confirming that the majority of existing arrangements will remain in place.

The City of Busselton’s much loved Signal Park Sellathon is returning in 2026, and local sellers are encouraged to secure their spot now, with only a handful of stall spaces still available.

The much-loved Dunsborough Arts Festival returns this March long weekend to mark its 25th anniversary, transforming the stunning Dunsborough Foreshore into a vibrant celebration of art, music and creativity.

The City’s Busselton Library has introduced a new multi-use study and program space, purpose-built to meet the evolving needs of the community while preserving the comfort and quiet atmosphere valued by library users.

The City of Busselton Libraries are celebrating the conclusion of the school holidays after almost 400 young readers took part in the annual Summer Reading Quest. Held across Busselton and Dunsborough Libraries, the popular program ran throughout the summer school holidays and featured more than ten activities, a reading log challenge and a finale celebration.

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.

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.