An artificial wild river and rapids, plus diverse, exciting add-on activities, could be a reality for Perth within a few short years. 

Such a facility will offer immense community and economic benefits for the local Perth and wider West Australian communities and will be a key tourist attraction for the State. In order to progress this further, Paddle WA requires a comprehensive Business Case that can be presented to local governments and investors, to the sum of approx. $50,000.

What is a business case?

A business case for a project evaluates the capital costs, operational costs and benefits (such as revenue, community, health, environmental & social) for a proposed project. These are highly complex documents constructed by specialists, and needs to be completed to a very high standard in order to be accepted by key stakeholders. Included in the business case will be:

• Cost of construction, operation, and forecasted revenue
• Detailed site analysis and facility design, including construction requirements, limitations and opportunities
• Benefits and risks of the project
• Impact on the environment and community
• Environmental benefits and use of renewable energy sources
• Physical and mental health benefits of patrons
• Assess the level of funding required to design and deliver the facility
• Much more

Why now?

The timing is excellent. Another wild river facility is in the planning stages for the Brisbane Olympics in 2032. Penrith Whitewater, the 2000 Olympics white water venue, will host the Canoe Slalom World Championships in 2025. The Perth Whitewater will benefit from this momentum, and could be the home of a future Jessica Fox!

The Perth White Water Centre will be a World Class tourism destination that will excite our local Perth community and engage our youth. The center will offer outdoor educational opportunities for WA schools, community benefits through increasing participation in active sport, white water safety and rescue training for emergency services in WA and neighboring countries, unique opportunities for local tourism, and integrate on and off-water activities and entertainment for all ages in a unique recreational precinct, that also provides a training and racing venue for local athletes, and caters to international competitions and events.

There are a number of sites within metropolitan Perth that would be perfect for this exciting project and Paddle Western Australia needs your support for Business Case through a tax-deductible donation.

Support for the PWWC was initially promised by the government and Water Corporation when the Harvey International Slalom Course was closed in 1998. Whilst the closure of this course was detrimental to our ability to train local athletes and host international events, modern artificial white water rivers are designed as so much more. Nowadays they are multi-use facilities with legacy and community benefits being the major drivers. This emphasis delivers health, education, economic and tourism benefits in addition to training opportunities for athletes and hosting international events. The PWWC will allow aspiring athletes to compete in slalom at an international or Olympic level to remain in WA (with support from WAIS) and contribute to the development of the newer and younger cohort

What will the Perth Whitewater Centre include?

Potential developers and operators will design and build an exciting destination and recreational precinct offering a wide range of active and passive facilities including:

• Recreational and whitewater rafting
• Swiftwater safety training for first responders in Australia and neighboring Asian countries
• Off-water activities such as a climbing wall, high-ropes course, and areas for walking, running and cycling.
• Diverse water-based activities such as canoe polo, whitewater rafting, whitewater canoeing and competition, and swimming at a river beach
• Cafe, restaurant and entertainment venues on the river bank, open day and night
• Opportunity to partner in the development of similar precincts across Australia ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games
• Health and economic benefits to the local and wider communities
• Improvement of physical and mental health through offering physical activities for all ages and abilities
• A unique tourist attraction within 10km of Perth City and both international and domestic air terminals.
• Nearby public transport services
• Outdoor education opportunities for schools, commercial groups and others across the metro area
• Inclusion of Aboriginal cultural studies, being adjacent to the Derbarl Yerrigan (Swan River)
• Renewable energy opportunities with solar arrays to drive partial power consumption
• Improved river health by aeration through the use of water pumps
• Naming opportunities for operators and financial backers
• Favourable Perth climate allows enjoyment of the precinct all year-round, and well into the evening
• The 2025 Canoe Slalom World Championships at Penrith Whitewater will give the Australian public an in-depth look at Canoe Slalom and Extreme Slalom, with golden girl and four-time Olympic medallist Jessica Fox almost certainly in the mix
• Freestyle kayaking is a beacon for the younger demographic, and is the whitewater equivalent of skateboarding and BMX. Recreational paddlers are able to learn freestyle, all the way through to World Championship athletes. Future Freestyle World Championships could take place in Perth!