Mandurah Mayor: Now is not the time to come to Mandurah and the Peel region

Read the statement from the Mayor.

With the Easter holidays just days away, Mayor Rhys Williams is reminding holidaymakers and visitors that now is not the time to visit Mandurah.

“Mandurah is such a special place not only to the people who live here, but thousands of visitors and holidaymakers across the state and country - but right now, we need you to stay away so that we can keep our community healthy,” the Mayor said.

“Given the age demographics we have in Mandurah and Peel, we have significant concerns about the impacts of having increased visitors in our area, especially over Easter.”

State Government-enforced restrictions for non-essential travel across regional borders have now come into place, however the Peel and Perth regions have been grouped together due to their proximity and to allow for essential travel for work purposes.

“Normally we’d welcome travellers and holiday makers with open arms, but due to the COVID-19 situation, we urge people, including those from the Perth area, to stay away from Mandurah and the Peel region.

“We all have a responsibility to do our bit to help stop the spread of this virus and to protect those vulnerable members of our community, so unless absolutely essential, if you don’t live in Mandurah, don’t come to Mandurah.

“If you have an existing holiday booking in Mandurah or the Peel region, please postpone your trip, not cancel, because when this is all over we can’t wait to welcome you to our beautiful part of WA.”

To assist with reiterating the government’s social distancing messaging, the City has placed Variable Message Boards at two entry points into Mandurah – Mandjoogoordaup Drive and Mandurah Road – encouraging people to cancel their holiday plans and stay at home.

The City’s Rangers are also working closely with Police to monitor inappropriate social gatherings and reporting non-compliance. Community members with concerns about people not doing the right thing should report it to Police on 131 444.

In line with a message from the Department of Transport, skippers are being reminded to stay at home and postpone or cancel recreational boating activities for now. Unnecessary pressure could be placed on already stretched emergency services if things go wrong and rescue assistance is required.

For the latest information on COVID-19, City of Mandurah residents can call the Government hotline on 13 COVID, or go to www.wa.gov.au, www.healthywa.wa.gov.au or www.health.gov.au

The following websites are very useful, including the actions community members can take to prevent the spread of infection: https://www.health.gov.au/ and https://www.who.int/