The construction of a new drainage system to divert stormwater into the Blackheath Golf Course Retention Dam has been completed.
The project was initiated by Blue Mountains City Council and supported by NSW Rural Fire Service and the Blackheath Golf and Community Club, and co-funded by the Australian and NSW Governments under the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund.
Blue Mountains Mayor, Mark Greenhill, Member for Blue Mountains, Trish Doyle MP and Federal Member for Macquarie, Susan Templeman MP, launched the upgrades on Saturday 7 October, following the recent completion of the project.
The dam is part of the strategic firefighting infrastructure used in the upper Blue Mountains and was frequently used as a water source during the 2019-2020 bushfires.
Cr Greenhill said, "The Blackheath Golf and Community Club is a community refuge point and has significant importance in firefighting operations.
"Increasing the capture of stormwater into the dam will greatly assist in conducting effective firebombing in the local area and help to protect the community in the upper Blue Mountains."
The upgrades involved the installation of a new drainage system at the Club, which has been subject to significant flooding over the years, impacting use of the golf course and causing damage to the property and downstream land.
The stormwater management issues, and deterioration of the drainage system intensified during major storms in recent years.
Member for Blue Mountains Trish Doyle MP said, "It's great to see this project completed at Blackheath Community Golf Club. In the lead up to another bushfire season, this firefighting infrastructure brings greater peace of mind for our community. This is another example of Local, State and Federal Governments progressing disaster preparedness across NSW and something we very much welcome in the Blue Mountains."
Federal Member for Macquarie, Susan Templeman MP said, "When my elected Mountains representatives and I argued loudly for fair investment in our area following the bushfires, this is the sort of project we hoped to see- something that will make a tangible difference to future firefighting efforts but also have an ongoing practical benefit to the community, in this case by reducing flooding of the golf course from neighbouring land's run off."
The completion of the project comes as the Club prepares to celebrate its one hundredth anniversary in 2024.
The Blue Mountains was declared a Natural Disaster area after torrential rain and flooding in March 2021, followed by further intense storms in July 2022.
Photo L to R: Lynne Pressley, Blackheath Golf and Community Club Vice President; Trish Doyle MP, Member for Blue Mountains; Susan Templeman MP, Federal Member for Macquarie; Mark Greenhill, Mayor of the City of Blue Mountains.
