Environmental Sustainability

Water Management

Since 2005, the Melbourne Racing Club has worked closely with key external partners including
South East Water in the development of a number of ongoing initiatives designed to advance the Club’s water management outcomes, our water self-sufficiency and saving performance of this critical resource. Projects and initiatives undertaken in recent years include:

• The development and implementation of an Environmental Management System (which has been independently validated);
• Engagement with other industry racing clubs on a collective approach to understanding and addressing water management issues;
• Installation of an underground stormwater capture system at Caulfield Racecourse (holding capacity up to 300,000 litres);
• Purchase and installation of rainwater tanks holding up to 350,000 litres of rainwater for use on key gardens and lawns;
• Implementation of waterless urinals;
• Installation of flow rate inhibitors in grandstand taps;
• Adoption of 6A rated devices on pre-rinse spray units in our kitchens;
• Utilisation of bore water;
• Ongoing changeover of all cubicle toilets to dual flush;
• Adoption of water efficient shower-heads in all grandstands and trainers’ facilities; and
• Utilisation of mulch and drought tolerant plants and grasses.

Now you can recycle at the track

Caulfield and Betfair Park are amongst the first racing clubs in Victoria to take up the public recycling challenge, looking at ways to minimise waste at their grounds.

A new partnership between Sustainability Victoria and the Alcoa Foundation aims to extend recycling from people’s homes and offices to major community sporting and recreation venues. Victoria’s recycling activities in 2004-05 saved Victoria more than 78 million gigajoules of energy - enough to power every household in the state for eight months, and 52,321 mega litres of water - enough to fill more than 20,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Although Victorians have become excellent recyclers at home, we are generating increasing amounts of waste each year.
Major sporting and recreational venues have considerable potential to change the behaviour of the community, with flow on effects to other businesses in catering, waste management and cleaning.

The venues participating in the initiative include the Dandenong Stadium, Skilled Stadium, Sunshine Leisure Centre, the Western Border Football League (Portland, Heywood & Casterton) and Melbourne Racing Club. Spectators at the racecourse should look out for the clearly marked rubbish and recycling stations and make the effort to put their waste in the right bin.

Why recycle

By reducing, reusing and recycling as much as possible we will be saving water and energy and cutting down on greenhouse gases.

Did you know?

• Recycling glass saves 74% of the energy it takes to make glass from raw materials.
• Recycling aluminium saves a significant amount of energy. Producing 20 cans from recycled materials uses the same power as making one can from raw materials.

To find out more information on recycling and other simple ways to reduce your environmental impact go to www.resourcesmart.vic.gov.au