The Town of Cambridge’s Budget for the 2025/26 financial year, endorsed by Council on 24 June 2025, is responsible, responsive, and reflects Council’s commitment to delivering high-quality services for the community.
For the 2025/26 financial year, the Town has maintained a modest rates increase of 3.3 per cent, in line with the WALGA Local Government Cost Index. This ensures that existing service levels can be maintained while responding to rising costs.
The Budget prioritises sound financial decisions to maintain services and infrastructure while supporting a financially sustainable future for the Town.
A key focus for 2025/26 is ensuring planning frameworks remain up to date and reflect the community’s vision for its neighbourhoods. In the coming months, the Town anticipates the Minister for Planning and Lands will approve Local Planning Scheme 2 for community consultation. This will provide an opportunity for residents to contribute to shaping the Town’s future.
The Town will continue to invest in its infrastructure, with a $17.2 million capital works program planned for 2025/26. This includes projects of high community priority, such as upgrades to the Floreat Surf Life Saving Club and essential maintenance works at the Wembley Golf Course driving range, ensuring community and commercial facilities remain fit for purpose into the future.
Through these initiatives, the Town of Cambridge continues to build a connected, inclusive, and resilient community.
Galup Reserve
On 17 June 2025, the Town announced that Lake Monger Reserve would officially be known as Galup (pronounced Kaarlup), meaning “place where the home fires burn”. The restored name is a significant milestone that reflects Cambridge’s commitment to reconciliation and acknowledges the enduring cultural connection Whadjuk Noongar people have to this important site.
As part of the Galup (Lake Monger) Management Plan 2024-2034, which outlines the Town’s top priorities at the reserve for the next decade, five proposed projects have been identified for implementation:
- Develop a revegetation plan for Galup to improve flora species abundance and richness within the wetlands and buffer zone and to guide Friends of Galup/Lake Monger Landcare activities.
- Investigate the potential establishment of an Aboriginal Ranger program to support the management of native flora, incorporating traditional Noongar land management practices.
- Develop revegetation to incorporate education opportunities, including bush tucker and the Noongar six seasons.
- Develop a vegetation monitoring program to track rehabilitation success, including seasonal photo monitoring.
- Undertake vegetation surveys at five-year intervals.
In addition to these actions, the Town is in the project planning phase for new interpretive signage, a yarning circle and artwork that depict the cultural significance of Galup to the Whadjuk Traditional Owners.
Reconciliation Action Plan | Reflect
The Town of Cambridge is proud to continue its Reconciliation journey.
The Town’s Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) was endorsed by Council in April 2025. This marks a significant milestone in the Town’s reconciliation journey and is the first RAP for the Town of Cambridge. A Noongar artist will be engaged to produce bespoke artwork for the RAP before we seek final approval from Reconciliation Australia later in 2025.
Once formally endorsed, the Town will officially launch the RAP and begin its implementation. We look forward to deepening our engagement with First Nations communities, embracing the wisdom of Elders, and celebrating the rich cultures that precede us.
Our commitment is to listen, learn, and work alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, recognising their enduring connection to the land and weaving this knowledge into our governance and community interactions.
By creating this RAP, the Town is making a formal commitment to reconciliation and practical action. This will help us:
- Strengthen cultural awareness and connections
- Join a growing network of local governments working toward reconciliation
- Foster a shared vision built on respect and trust
Community Events
We’re pleased to offer another exciting year of family-friendly events designed to attract people of all ages and backgrounds. From music concerts and pool parties to NAIDOC Week celebrations and commemorative occasions, there’s something for everyone.
For further information, keep an eye on the Town’s Community Events page.
Senior Services at the Boulevard Centre
Our popular Cambridge Senior Services are now located at the Boulevard Centre, Floreat – a more accessible venue with better parking and nearby amenities. Activities and services remain the same, and we’ve introduced a new coach service for longer outings. To find out more or register your interest, contact seniorservices@cambridge.wa.gov.au
Accessibility Improvements
We continue to improve accessibility across the Town. This includes expanding our communication materials and investing in staff training to better support people with disability. Last year, we introduced Social Stories for our events and hearing loops at our front counters, with more enhancements to come.
Venue Hire
Did you know that we offer a range of community facilities and open spaces for hire to suit your next event, including children’s birthdays, community and corporate activities, and performances?
Book a space that suits your needs
Quarry Amphitheatre
In the 2025/26 Budget, we’ll upgrade the Quarry Amphitheatre kiosk to provide a wider range of food and drinks, along with improved preparation and service areas for our catering vendor.
The new season begins on 1 November 2025 and will feature an exciting program, including local contemporary music, the WA Youth Jazz Orchestra, dance, Bollywood, opera, the WA Ballet, tribute bands, Gladiator Wrestling, the WA Shakespeare Company, and more. Follow the Quarry Amphitheatre on social media for updates.
Cambridge Library
Cambridge Library will introduce new self-return shelves and upgraded self-checkout machines by the end of 2025. These improvements will make borrowing and returning easier, while freeing up staff to help with your queries.
And don’t forget – 2025 marks 60 years of service at Cambridge Library (formerly Floreat Library). Look out for special events to celebrate this milestone!
Your 2025/26 rates notice shows an increase in waste charges due to higher costs for collecting and processing organic, general, and recyclable materials from kerbside and verge collections.
Bin breakdown
Specialty recycling
Did you know that you can recycle many specialty items at the West Metro Recycling Centre for free such as stationary, sporting goods, x-rays, textiles, clothing, e-waste, household hazardous waste, polystyrene and more. The RC is run by the Western Metropolitan Regional Council (WMRC) is located on the corner of Brockway Road and Lemnos Street (enter from Brockway Road).
Waste achievements
In FY24/25, we:
- Saved 9,089 tonnes of waste from landfill through kerbside and verge-side collections
- Diverted over 20 tonnes of e-waste and charitable items from landfill
- Hosted 18 waste education workshops and four drop-off days
- Introduced a third FOGO bin for single-unit dwellings
In FY25/26, we will:
- Continue kerbside and verge-side collections and provide free access to the West Metro Recycling Centre for speciality recycling
- Deliver waste education events and communications
- Update the Waste Management Strategy 2020–2025 for the next five years
- Audit and upgrade park bins as required
- Divert general waste that would normally go to landfill, to a waste to energy facility
Keep up the great work, Cambridge!
Your commitment to sustainability is making a real impact. Thanks to your efforts, FOGO contamination stayed impressively low at under 2% last year.
Let’s keep that momentum going by turning our attention to recycling. Our recycling contamination rate was around 24% last year, which means there’s still room to improve. By sticking to the three Rs — Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle we can make our waste efforts even more effective and protect our environment for future generations.
Remember:
- Your green FOGO bin is collected weekly.
- Red and yellow bins are collected fortnightly on alternating weeks.
You can learn more about bins and reducing your waste here.