City to consider $1.6 million water project at golf course as Lynas looks to take full quota of recycled water

The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder will consider splashing out $1.6 million to expand the Kalgoorlie Golf Course dam as Lynas Rare Earths looks to take its full quota of recycled water from early 2025. A report to be tabled at Monday night’s council meeting says the city’s recycled water supply capability only meets the Lynas agreed-upon total quota — 1.7GL a year — with the company recently indicating it would require the full amount by “early 2025”. The city provides recycled water to various facilities, including the golf course, schools, parks and Kalgoorlie-Boulder Racing Club, and will need to find alternative options to maintain its commitments. The Golf Course Water Bank Project the council is being asked to allocate funding to would develop a water provision scheme to meet golf course irrigation demand 75 per cent of the time. The Water Corporation is likely to supply the remaining 25 per cent. The project is expected to eliminate the course’s reliance on the city’s recycled water by capturing stormwater which currently creates flooding problems in the area and using it for irrigation, estimated at cubic metres per day. The project would enlarge the existing dam from 27.4 megalitres to 45.8ML by excavating it to 7m, provide a transfer scheme for water from upstream golf course ponds and other catchment areas draining to the golf course irrigation dam, and upgrade the access track water crossing to the dam. It would also elevate some footpaths and bridges to improve water collection, storage and transfer into the dam. At current prices the project is estimated to save about $1.9m over five years and $5m over 10 years. The report said the city currently buys water from the Water Corporation at $2.87/cubic metre, with water increases in the future to be calculated at a CPI of 3 per cent. However, it states the corporation would likely charge “much more” for this specific water use. A project schedule in the report said the project could be completed by July next year.