TCW00536 - Castle Hill Bushfire Management Pipelines

Summary and scope

In 2021, the Townsville City Council (the Principal) entered into a Grant Agreement with the Commonwealth, represented by the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources. The Grant is part of the Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Grants Program to improve bushfire management. There is currently no water access on Castle Hill walking tracks for bushfire response or for safe undertaking of hazard reduction burns. The current process requires the Principal’s staff to transport water along the Castle Hill walking tracks by foot. This is labour intensive and is not suitable in emergency situations when there is limited time to respond and higher volumes and pressures of water required to suppress a fire. To provide safe and consistent bushfire response in the Castle Hill area, the Commonwealth has provided the Principal with grant funding for the purpose of seeking a Contractor to design and construct fixed stainless steel water pipelines that can be fed from a water truck stationed on Castle Hill Road (at the top of the walking tracks). These water pipelines will be installed on strategic walking tracks on Castle Hill (West Ridge Track, Ironbark Track and The Goat Track), so that water can be accessed and used by fire crews with fire hoses and nozzles with suitable water pressure to undertake both hazard reduction burns and enable a safe response to bushfires.