The mayor of the City of Joondalup has defended the council’s decision to charge the state government more than $20,000 annually to run its VacSwim program.

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Speaking with 6PR Mornings host Simon Beaumont, Daniel Kingston said the fee is small compared to the state’s budget surplus.

“If we encourage the state government to pay a small contribution and $22,000 is a small contribution for the state government who currently has a budget surplus of $3.5 billion,” he said.

Mayor Kingston said the fee helps ease the financial burden on ratepayers while ensuring local beaches can be properly maintained.

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