Making Waves: Canning Wins State Water Safety Award

The City of Canning’s Leisure Team has been recognised at the annual Leisure Conference and Awards, winning the Watch Around Water Facility of the Year Award for excellence in promoting water safety for young children.

Over the past year, Cannington and Riverton Leisureplex have taken a proactive and collaborative approach to Watch Around Water, embedding the program across all areas of operation:

• Customer Experience teams engage with parents from the moment they enter the centre to promote active supervision.
• Swim School delivers safety weeks, emergency drills and family education through newsletters.
• Aquatics staff have made water safety part of the culture, with lifeguards actively educating every patron and messages amplified through social media and community events.

Mayor Patrick Hall congratulated the team on the award, saying:
“This recognition reflects the dedication, professionalism and care our Leisure staff show every day. By embracing Watch Around Water in every part of our operations, they’ve set a benchmark for aquatic safety across the state.”

He added:
“Keeping children safe around water is a responsibility we all share. Our Leisure Team has shown how leadership, teamwork and community engagement can make a real difference in preventing accidents and saving lives.”

The program’s influence extends beyond safety, inspiring a lifelong connection to sport and community. At the conference, keynote speaker and Olympic runner Peter Bol reflected on how local facilities can shape young lives, recalling his own time at Cannington Leisureplex:

“Cannington Leisureplex is where I spent my teenage years, learning to swim and hanging out with my friends.”

The award acknowledges facilities that go above and beyond to implement and uphold the Watch Around Water program’s key principles, ensuring safe, family-friendly aquatic environments.

The City of Canning is proud to be leading the way in aquatic safety, proving that when safety is embraced across all levels of operation, it not only saves lives, it builds stronger, more confident communities.