Recovery tips for flooded sports clubs
Building sporting facilities on flood plains makes great sense… until it rains! And boy did it rain in southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales on the weekend of 26 and 27 February 2022!
Our thoughts are with all of the volunteers who have already donned gloves and gumboots to start the heartbreaking cleanup efforts at sports clubs in SEQ and northern NSW.
As the recovery begins for flooded clubs, Michael Connelly and Steve Connelly dedicated an episode of their podcast, Basket Case Clubs, to provide tips for staying safe during the clean up and looking ahead to when clubs can reopen, at least in some capacity.
The main take aways from the episode:
Sports grounds are often built on flood plains and dumps, so floods are an unfortunate part of the business of community sport;
Keep safe during the clean up! Make sure that your buildings are safe before entering them. Some Councils have prohibited ALL access until buildings can be assessed for electrical and structural safety;
Communicate. Stay in touch with your members to let them know how they can help and when you expect to be operating again, and to what extent you will be open for business;
Make the most of your networks. Stay in contact with your Council, other clubs in your competition and schools to identify how flood-affected clubs may be able to access other fields, courts and green space for training until your own fields are accessible again. Just be mindful of putting too much stress on fields that weren't flooded;
Avoid trying to get back onto your flooded fields too quickly. Early-season field damage may not fully recover as the weather dries and cools, leaving you a dust bowl for the season; and
Prepare for next time. Yes, if it's a flood plain, it's likely to go under again. As you clean up and rebuild, do the best you can to think about ways to minimise impacts next time, like storing your equipment in the most appropriate places and keeping the place as tidy as possible.
Image credit: Mitchelton Football Club's Facebook page
If your club has been affected by the recent flooding in QLD or NSW, it may be eligible for disaster recovery grants and financial assistance. See more here.
And for clubs who have had flood waters inundate their fields, here is a link to an upcoming webinar by SportEng that will help clubs get their fields ready for play when the waters recede.
