• Scarborough Beach to host around 6,000 surf lifesavers
• More than 11,000 visitors to WA expected
• Huge boost for local tourism and hospitality industries

Scarborough Beach is set to host one of the world’s largest multi-discipline participation events after Western Australia secured the rights to the 2014 Australian Surf Life Saving Championships.

Tourism Minister Kim Hames said the week-long championships, commonly known as the Aussies, were expected to attract more than 11,000 interstate visitors to WA.

“The Aussies are on the same scale as the Commonwealth Games in terms of numbers of competitors. It is a massive event, and getting it back on the west coast in 2014 is a coup for Scarborough, Perth and the State as a whole,” Dr Hames said.

“When the Aussies were last held at Scarborough in 2009, an estimated 81,000 spectators and competitors descended on the beach during the six days of competition.

“The boost to local tourism and hospitality industries in 2014 will be enormous, with a forecast benefit to the local economy conservatively put at more than $20million.

“Scarborough Beach has ideal conditions for the Aussies and was widely praised by competitors and organisers when it last hosted the event in 2009.”

The State Government, through Eventscorp, in conjunction with Surf Life Saving WA and the City of Stirling, is proud to support the return of the Aussies to WA in 2014.

“Hosting an event of this size will also help activate the Scarborough beachfront, which is a tourism development priority for the State Government,” the Minister said.