Perth’s first floating sauna is already installed and operating at the Swan Yacht Club in East Fremantle, according to the club’s development application. The application seeks approval for it to continue operating; the available records do not establish whether a final determination has been issued.
What is installed on the Swan River?
The sauna is on a floating pontoon at Jetty 3 within the Swan Yacht Club. The club’s application describes a prefabricated sauna module on a marine-grade aluminium pontoon, with HDPE-encased flotation and composite decking. It says the facility has been fully installed and operational since August 2025, accommodates up to 10 patrons per session, and uses the existing Jetty 3 security gate for supervised entry. The application proposes no further construction or in-river works for the current request. Swan Yacht Club’s Part 5 application
Drift Saunas operates the facility. Its website lists the location as 71 Riverside Drive, East Fremantle, and provides current service and booking information. Check there for availability and hours, which can change. At launch in August 2025, RAC WA described a contrast-therapy session involving a sauna followed by a Swan River cold plunge or an ice shower on deck. RAC WA’s launch coverage
What approval is being sought?
The application distinguishes the temporary permit under which the facility was installed from the permission it seeks for ongoing operation. It describes an earlier temporary DBCA permit and requests Part 5 development approval under the Swan and Canning Rivers Management Act 2006. This is an application to continue operating an existing facility, not a proposal to build a new sauna pontoon. Swan Yacht Club’s application
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The club’s application states: “This facility is temporarily approved under Regulation 13 DBCA permit and has been fully installed and operational since August 2025.” That is the applicant’s description, not a DBCA endorsement or a statement that ongoing approval has been granted.
Who decides, and what is the status?
The Town of East Fremantle can provide referral advice on development applications within the Swan River development control area; it is not the statutory decision-maker for this application. Town council records show support for the temporary proposal subject to conditions. That support should not be confused with a final development determination. See the June 2025 council minutes and December 2025 council agenda.
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The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) explains that draft assessment reports may be opened for public comment before reports are finalised and recommendations made to the Minister for Environment. The DBCA page for applications under assessment consulted for this article does not list the sauna application among those open for comment or under assessment. That listing alone does not establish the final status: the available material does not confirm whether a determination has been issued.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the application says about use and safeguards
The club reports 1,520 bookings to date, 1,083 first-time users (72% of all users), and an average of 120–150 weekly bookings. These are applicant-reported figures from the Swan Yacht Club’s application; the application does not state the year or date of the usage-data snapshot, and the figures are not independently audited. They should not be read as current totals. Swan Yacht Club’s application
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The application says the operator prohibits soaps, shampoos and other chemicals on the pontoon and describes short showers using potable water. It also requests conditions for ongoing operation, including:
- Operation during daylight hours.
- Annual structural inspection reports.
- Water-quality and waste-management procedures.
- Further approval before modification or relocation.
- Immediate reporting of environmental or safety incidents.
These are measures described or requested in the application, not confirmed final conditions imposed by the regulator. Swan Yacht Club’s application
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