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The 90ha site of what is now the Kooindah Waters golf course resort and residential development is located one kilometre east of Wyong town centre on the New South Wales Central Coast. When the site was acquired in 2000, it had around 100,000m3 of coal chitter (byproduct) covering areas around the site and the site itself was a local dumping ground with many burned out cars, fridges, old demolished sheds and the like. Waterways in and around the site had pH levels generally in the range of 3 to 4 as a result of naturally occurring acid/sulfate soils with no apparent aquatic or bird life. The site contained a buried drum dump capped and certified by the EPA some 10-15 years earlier which also had to be incorporated, treated and certified into the development. 
When complete, the development will comprise 252 one and two storey residential dwellings, an 18 hole championship golf course and various resort facilities such as a hotel complex with restaurant, bars and function facilities, tennis courts and swimming pools. The golf course was completed in April 2006 and houses are progressively being constructed. Despite the site's obvious contamination, it was nonetheless home to endangered ecological communities and threatened species including squirrel gliders and micro bats which needed to be protected. A nursery was installed at the beginning of the project to enable harvesting of local seed. These are, and continue to be propagated in a controlled environment equivalent to that on site. All golf course grasses, plants etc. have been grown on site and are now planted around the project as required. To date we have grown and planted in excess of 300,000 plants and grasses. |
