Bunbury racecourse re-development update
Earthworks are going ahead on the racing and training tracks, with the stripping of topsoil in four of the zones now complete and the remainder underway. The diagram below shows the layout of the construction zones on the course.
Bulk earthworks are well advanced, down to 1,500mm below ground level, with the contractor avoiding the acid sulphate soil below 1,500mm. Acid sulphate water treatment is under way through the infiltration basin constructed. Civcon is also progressing with wetlands bulk earthworks, with 7,000sqm of acid sulphate soils to be treated on site. Fill is also being imported into the site from a local quarry to supplement sand that is being harvested from within the centre of the track.
The presence of acid sulphate soils on site has long been known and included in management plans, including project funding contingencies. The unusually wet winter hasn’t helped siteworks, with Bunbury rainfall figures for the year up to the end of August some 36% higher than the average over the previous 20 years.
We are all keen to get back to training and then racing at the Bunbury Racecourse as soon as possible but this is not a short-term project. There are no shortcuts being taken and the project will be completed to the highest standard.
To view drone footage of the site, please visit (13) Bunbury Racecourse Re-development – YouTube
On the current programme, training is expected to return at Bunbury in June 2022 and when racing resumes next season, we can look forward to operating in a well-planned, top-quality facility that will meet your needs for many years ahead.