There has been unrelenting rainfall this year, with more than 1,750mm received year-to-date. Thankfully, we have recently experienced an extended period of drier weather, which has allowed the course maintenance team to manage the golf courses effectively and efficiently. However, about five weeks ago, a leak developed in the recycled water line that supplies us from the Coombabah treatment plant, resulting in no irrigation water being available to us.

Unlike previous leaks, this one was located in an environmentally sensitive area, requiring specific approvals before any excavation could begin. While our usual repair process is straightforward with the assistance of expert contractors, these environmental approvals to conduct the necessary works have caused unavoidable delays.

In the meantime, we have done everything possible to manage the situation. A large pump was hired to transfer water from non-irrigation lakes into the irrigation lake at The Pines golf course (holes 6 and 7). Unfortunately, this option was not available for The Palms golf course, although some storage remained in the irrigation lake for the time being.

Despite our best efforts, members will have noticed some areas of the courses becoming very dry and losing colour until either rainfall or our irrigation supply is restored. While these challenges are not new to us, our dedicated team has continued to work hard to keep both courses in the best possible condition under the circumstances.

We have been working extensively with The City of Gold Coast and the State Government to reach an immediate resolution.