Stirling and Glory team up for beach safety after alarming start to 2026
The City of Stirling has partnered with Perth Glory on a video campaign promoting the fundamentals of beach safety after a record number of rescues at the City’s beaches in January.
The City’s Beach Services team performed 226 rescues in January, including 180 rescues in a single day on Tuesday 20 January, when the temperature soared to almost 40C.
These figures were all-time highs for January and came after the team performed another 100 rescues in December.
Sadly, the busy summer holiday period at Perth’s beaches also included multiple incidents that ended in tragedy.
The City is the only local government in Western Australia that provides its own beach patrol service 365 days a year, focusing mainly on Scarborough and Trigg beaches.
Volunteers from local surf lifesaving clubs Scarboro and Trigg Island also patrol these beaches on weekends and public holidays between October and April.
To boost beach safety, the City runs a Pool to Beach program at Scarborough from January to March, giving people of all ages and backgrounds the opportunity to learn surf survival skills.
Now, the City has teamed up with Perth Glory to share the key beach safety principles that all Western Australians should know.
“Our Beach Services team and the volunteer surf lifesavers they work alongside are passionate about their roles and highly trained, but there’s only so much they can do,” Mayor Mark Irwin said.
“I’d urge everyone to make sure their families know the basics of beach safety, from swimming between the red and yellow flags to never mixing alcohol and the beach.
“As we’ve seen this summer, situations can turn tragic very quickly when any of those basic principles aren’t there.”
The video collaboration features the City’s Beach Services team alongside Perth Glory men’s co-captain Adam Taggart and women’s rising star Naomi Chinnama.
Taggart, a Trigg local, lives next to one of Perth’s most popular and dangerous beaches.
“The beach is part of our lifestyle in WA and it’s important that we have a healthy respect for the power of the ocean,” Taggart said.
“I think everyone should take the time to learn what a rip looks like, for example, and what to do if you or someone else gets into trouble.
"Most importantly, always swim at a patrolled beach and follow the advice of the lifeguards and lifesavers who are there to keep you safe."
To learn more about beach safety, visit www.beachsafe.org.au/surf-safety or www.stirling.wa.gov.au/beaches.
