22 Mar 2023 | Clubs and Facilities |
Recycled water flows to Long Island
by Dane Heverin
The National Golf Course – Long Island in Melbourne’s south-east will benefit from a new pipeline delivering high quality recycled water to green spaces within Frankston City.
The Victorian Government announced $1.3 million in funding towards the Monterey Recycled Water Scheme in Frankston North last month with the new 2.3km pipeline to deliver a sustainable water source to public football/cricket and soccer grounds as well Long Island.
The Monterey Recycled Water Scheme will cost $4 million and will be partly funded by South East Water, Frankston City Council and The National Golf Club – Long Island with recycled water expected to become accessible by spring next year.
“Water is the lifeline of any golf club. The Monterey project will provide The National with a level of security about future water supply at Long Island which allows it to plan and invest with confidence,” said The National Golf Club CEO, Matthew Corby.
“The renovation of the Long Island course, commencing later this year, will link a number of fairways, increasing the area of grass coverage substantially. Access to a reliable supply of recycled water is key to the success of that project.
“The National is proud to be partnering on this exciting and positive initiative.”
The funding is part of the Victorian Government’s $56.6 million investment to support the delivery of the Central and Gippsland Region Sustainable Water Strategy which sets out South East Water’s long-term plan to better water security, liveability, and waterway health for the next half century.
The initiative follows last year’s announcement by the Victorian Government of the Dingley Recycled Water Scheme with a 42km pipeline to supply recycled water to other Melbourne Sandbelt clubs in the Kingston, Monash and Bayside communities.
Matt Chesterman, Head of Club’s & Facilities at Golf Australia, said the schemes align with Golf Australia’s commitment to Golf Course 2030 (GC2030) initiative.
“The initiative was established by The R&A in 2018 to encourage people to consider the impacts of climate change, resource constraints and regulation on golf course condition and playability,” Chesterman said.
“In Australia, the GC2030 plan promotes greater resilience through appropriate management practices as environmental issues increasingly become more relevant to the success and well-being of the sport.
“It is great to see Clubs, such as The National working alongside the council to grow the sustainability of their course and local community.”
The use of recycled water means that the drinking water supply is not impacted and also provides a rainfall independent water supply to mitigate the effects of drought.