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

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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 and ongoing project development that can be presented to local governments an investors.

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Imagine hosting International, National and State Canoe Slalom and Kayak Cross events here in Perth!

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​Why now?

The timing is excellent.

• We've had an amazing result from the Paris 2024 Olympics.
• There is another wild river facility in planning for the Brisbane Olympics in 2032.
• The Penrith Whitewater Centre (2000 Olympics) is hosting the Canoe Slalom World Championships in 2025.

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Our Perth Whitewater Centre will benefit from this momentum. Who knows we might just be the home of a future Jessica or Noemie Fox!

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It's not just wild water providing the thrills

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.

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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
• Favorable Perth climate allows enjoyment of the precinct all year-round, and well into the evening
• The incredible results from the 2024 Paris Olympics have shone a spotlight on Canoe Slalom and Kayak Cross. This Centre will enable participation of these sports all year round.
• 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 our golden girls and Olympic medalists Jessica Fox and Noemie 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!

Where will it be?

​Though the location of the Perth White Water Centre is yet to be determined, there are a number of sites within metropolitan Perth that would be perfect for this exciting project. Follow us on Facebook to keep up to date with the progress.

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Why do we need a White Water Centre in Perth?

Our weather is perfect, but it does have a disadvantage. Low rainfall means there is a very short window of natural wild water flow. To compete at an International or Olympic level, our aspiring athletes need to relocate over East. The Perth Centre will allow them to remain in WA (with support from WAIS) and contribute to the development of a newer and younger cohort.

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 national and international events.

Modern artificial white water rivers are designed as so much more:

• Multi-use facilities with legacy and community benefits.
• Health, education, economic and tourism benefits.
• Training opportunities for athletes.
• Hosting international events.
• The Centre will allow aspiring athletes wanting 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's the plan?

Stage 1 is almost completed.

Ongoing support is required to progress through the stages.

Stage1: Business Case.

Stage2: Presentation to Stakeholders, Investers, Partnerships.

Stage 3: Location.

Stage 4: Final Project Design and Approvals.

Stage 5: Approvals: Finance and Location.

Stage 6: Constuction and Commissioning.

Stage 7: Champagne!

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​What is a business case?

Stage 1 of our project.

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
• and much more

Thank you for your support!