RJC enacts participant safety and horse welfare measures before flooding occurs.

Plan for the worst and hope for the best – RJC enacts participant safety and horse welfare measures before flooding occurs

Staff, local property owners and businesses are assisting the Rockhampton Jockey Club to mitigate the risk of flood damage to vital racetrack equipment and machinery.

Some staff are storing valuable maintenance equipment, a local hotel is housing the club starting barrier stalls and tractors in its car park, and other equipment including sprayers, motors and mowers, as well as goods in stock have all been moved to secure facilities.

Major infrastructure such as the half million-dollar fire-fighting equipment has been removed from its normal site in the RJC’s car park on track and trucked to safe storage.

“It is all hands on deck with more work to be carried out today and tomorrow with our staff getting what needs to be done before minor flooding impacts the lower ground which is expected to be as early as Sunday, moderate flooding is also possible. Rain and storms are forecast for early next week which could also cause flash flooding,” CEO David Aldred said.

The river level could rise to 7 m by Sunday and 8 m by Monday. Beyond Monday it may even be worse.

Some access roads at Callaghan Park will be impacted at under 6 m and at 7 m, The Common, the area where the racecourse is located, is almost completely inundated. Flooding above that level will impact on RJC buildings at Callaghan Park. At 8 m the racetrack is starting to flood.

“We started preparing last Tuesday and the staff have not stopped, there are still things like training track rails and other equipment to be removed and stored,” Mr. Aldred said. “We can deal with minor flooding, but a moderate flood is a different story, that will put our racetrack and facilities out of play for some time.”

In 2013 the flood waters rose to 8.6 m and water flooded the Callaghan Park racetrack, 2011, the river height rose to 9.2 m and in 1991 was even worse at 9.3 m.

Many horses that were stabled at the track have already been relocated to the Rockhampton Showgrounds and Gracemere Saleyards accommodation. Others have sent horses to Yeppoon and to SEQ to protect their welfare.

The Queensland Racing Integrity (QRIC) stewards are also flood-ready, moving their equipment and files from ground level to the first level at Callaghan Park.

Callaghan Park will completely shut down on Sunday morning. Training will cease after track work on Saturday morning, with all horses to be removed from the racecourse stables by 11.00 am on Sunday.

“Rocky horse people are a resilient bunch, always bouncing back after natural disasters, but no one wants a flood, particularly a flood that has the potential to cause damage to our wonderful facility,” Mr. Aldred said.

The racecourse will be monitored by both security and police during the closure.

Racing Queensland has issued weights for horses nominated to race at Callaghan Park on Wednesday 21 January, but RQ officials, the Club and trainers are all well aware that racing will not be possible if flood waters from the adjacent Fitzroy River reach the forecast level of 8 m.

• On behalf of the RJC Committee