Callaghan Park braces for impact of floods

Trainers at Rockhampton have begun moving their horses to higher ground, with Callaghan Park expected to be heavily impacted by floods from the Fitzroy River on Sunday and Monday.

In a statement on LinkedIn, Rockhampton chief executive David Aldred said preparations were under way to protect the track to try and mitigate damage when the river reaches an expected moderate flooding level.

“As a result of activating the risk mitigation plan, Sunday’s TAB race meeting was shifted to Wednesday. If flood levels exceed the minimum predicted, it will also be unlikely that the revised race date can be achieved,” Aldred said.

“The longer the floods last, the less time the club will have to clean and reinstate the removed services and infrastructure.

“Currently, the RJC and racing participants are at the mercy of Mother Nature, and the club will have to cope with whatever she dishes up, hoping that she is kind.”

Aldred said staff are prepared to deal with the evolving situation.

“They have worked hard; some trainers are already moving horses from their Callaghan Park boxes to safety, all while the situation is closely monitored.,” he said.

The racecourse has experienced flood events over the years that have caused damage to race and training tracks, equipment, machinery, and infrastructure.