Cockburn, Karratha and Steve Reeves are honoured at the 2026 Waterwise Awards

On May 6 at Frasers, Kings Park, the 2026 Waterwise Awards recognised outstanding achievements in water efficiency across Western Australia.

Platinum Waterwise Aquatic Centre of the Year
Cockburn ARC (City of Cockburn) was awarded the top honour, achieving significant water efficiency gains without costly rebuilds or disruption to the community—an impressive example of innovation in action.

Gold Waterwise Aquatic Centre Recognition
In the Pilbara, the City of Karratha’s three facilities were recognised for best-practice water management:
• Karratha Leisureplex
• Roebourne Aquatic Centre
• Wickham Recreation Precinct

Newly Endorsed Waterwise Aquatic Centres
• Narrogin Regional Leisure Centre (Shire of Narrogin)
• Katanning Aquatic Centre (Shire of Katanning)
• Lake Grace Swimming Pool (Shire of Lake Grace)

Waterwise Individual Champion - Leadership Award
Steve Reeves, Manager of Leisure, Parks & Environment at the City of Belmont, was honoured for his long-standing contribution to water sustainability and leadership within the industry.

Since 2012, the Waterwise Aquatic Centre Program—delivered in partnership with the Leisure Institute of WA Aquatics—has supported 62 centres statewide to achieve endorsement.

Water Minister Don Punch highlighted the importance of collective action:
“Western Australia’s future water security depends on every sector of the community embracing waterwise practices… These programs are delivering real water savings while supporting vibrant, liveable communities.”

These initiatives form part of the WA Government’s Kep Katitjin–Gabi Kaadadjan (Waterwise Action Plan 3), driving toward leading waterwise communities across Boorloo (Perth) and Bindjareb (Peel) by 2030.

Congratulations to all recognised centres for their leadership in building a sustainable water future.