In 1950, Ted Holthouse and Gordon Goodson were delegated to approach the then Harvey Road Board (now Shire Council) for an opinion.

The town contains a general store, caravan park and cafe, skateboard park, tennis courts, basketball courts, a bowling club and bowling greens, a community centre, youth camp, a public library and a public oval.

The beach and clear, non-polluted water make the town a popular site for swimmers; summer months can draw hundreds of tourists from the north and south.

A desalination plant in Binningup provides Perth and surrounding areas including Mandurah, Kalgoorlie and Bunbury with drinking water.

The Premier Colin Barnett opened the second stage of the plant in 2013; the expansion cost A$450 million and doubled the capacity to 100 gigalitres (3.5×109 cu ft).