04 August 2026
Beachside jazz, all weekend long
After attracting a record 2,700 attendees last year, JazzConnect returns to Scarborough Beach from 28 to 30 August 2026 with an expanded program.
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Stirling Scene is the City’s monthly e-newsletter, full of events and important updates. Subscribe to find out what’s new at www.stirling.wa.gov.au/subscribe
Welcome to the August edition of Stirling Scene
Caption: City of Stirling Mayor Mark Irwin AM at the site of the refreshed Wandjoo Maar, Welcome Hand by Wadjak Nyoongar artist Kylie Graham at Scarborough Beach.
You might have heard about restrictions we’re putting on fishing at local lakes and wetlands. While fishing is a popular pastime in Perth and one I enjoy, it is not something we have encouraged at our urban wetlands. Over the last two years, we’ve received increasing reports about the negative impacts of fishing in these areas. We’ve tried to reduce those impacts through education but reports of harm to wildlife have escalated. Earlier this year, we advertised a proposal to prohibit fishing at our lakes and wetlands – and it received 80 per cent support. We understand that many fishers do the right thing, but we have listened to our community on this and prioritised the protection of native wildlife.
We recently adopted our Annual Budget 2026/27, the product of a comprehensive planning process that also involved revising our Strategic Community Plan and updating our Corporate Business Plan. Through that process, we make sure the way we allocate resources is guided by our community. If you’re a ratepayer, you should be receiving your rates notice and Budget Newsletter in the coming days. I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome our incoming Director Corporate Services Jason Lyon, an experienced local government leader who will be heavily involved in all things budget and finance once he joins the City next week.
Next Tuesday night is Census night, when Australia pauses to produce a detailed snapshot of our changing nation. Census staff will go to great lengths to try to make sure everyone has their voices heard, including those experiencing homelessness or living in remote communities. The Census is compulsory and strictly confidential, and I encourage all residents to give it the respect it deserves. Your answers will guide planning across all levels of government, business and community, empowering us to make data-driven decisions for our future.
Mark Irwin
Mayor
What's on in the City
Djilba — season of conception
Local Aboriginal-owned graphic design agency, Norlap Creative, partnered with artist Teresa Miller to create six original artworks for the City of Stirling that share the story of the Nyoongar seasons and Mooro Country native flora and fauna. The above artwork represents Djilba or first spring.
Djilba is a transitional time of the year, with some very cold and clear days combining with warmer, rainy and windy days mixing with the occasional sunny day or two.
As the days start to warm up, we start to see and hear the first of the newborns with their proud parents out and about providing them food, guiding them through foraging tasks and protecting their family units from much bigger animals, including people.
